mid-autumn

The Mid-autumn Day which occurs on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (around mid September) is an occasion for viewing the full moon. The round moon is a symbol for completeness, and by extension, family reunion. 农历8月15日的中秋节是观赏满月的日子。圆圆的月亮象征着圆满和家庭团聚。 中秋祝福 Blessings 1 Without you, the moon is round though my heart is empty. 没有你在我身边，天上月圆圆，我的心却空落落。 2 East or west, home is best. 金窝，银窝不如自己的狗窝。 3 The moon cake is eaten away, but the sweetness remains. 月饼已吃，甜蜜犹存。 4 Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. 家是我们情之所系的地方，虽只身在外，但心系家园。 5 When we are together, even the moon in the sky will be jealousy. 如果我们在一起，天上的月亮也会嫉妒的。 6 My dear, can you hear my heart beating in the soft moonlight? I miss you so. 在月色撩人的夜里，我是如此的想念你，亲爱的，你听到我的心跳吗？ 7 To have a moonlight walk with you tonight is my best dream. 今晚和你在月光中散步是我最大的梦想。 8 Still remember the happy time on Mid-Autumn Festival when we were children? Best wishes for you! 还记得儿时我们共度的那个中秋吗？祝你节日快乐。 9 Would you like to go and admire the beauty of the moon with me tonight? 今晚能邀你一同赏月吗？ 10 Wish you and yours a happy holiday on this gathering day. 在这团聚的日子里祝你全家节日快乐。 中秋词汇 Vocabulary Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节，也可以用Mid-Autumn Day或者Moon Festival The eighth full moon 第八个满月 Lunar calendar 农历 Family reunion 全家团圆 Moon cake 月饼 Mimimooncake 迷你月饼 Ham mooncake 火腿月饼 Mooncakes with meat/nuts/eggs 肉馅/果仁/蛋黄月饼 Glue pudding 汤圆 Dessert 甜点 Grapefruit/pomelo/shaddock 柚子 Chang E 嫦娥 Hou Yi 后羿 Lantern/scaldfish 灯笼 Traditional 传统的 Holiday 节日 Gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon 聚在一起赏月 Light lantern 点灯笼 Carry the lantern around 提灯笼 Burn incense 烧香 The custom of worshipping the moon 拜月的习俗 Worship the full moon 拜满月 Come out to watch the full moon to celebrate the festival 到户外赏月 The custom of Mid-Autumn Festival celebration 庆祝中秋节的习俗 中秋探源 History "Zhong Qiu Jie", which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon--an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea, while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns. 农历八月十五日是中国的传统节日——中秋节。在这天，每个家庭都团聚在一起，一家人共同观赏象征丰裕、和谐和幸运的圆月。此时，大人们吃着美味的月饼，品着热腾腾的香茗，而孩子们则在一旁拉着兔子灯尽情玩耍。 "Zhong Qiu Jie" probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon. 中秋节最早可能是一个庆祝丰收的节日。后来，月宫里美丽的仙女嫦娥的神话故事赋予了它神话色彩。 According to Chinese mythology, the earth once had 10 suns circling over it. One day, all 10 suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when a strong archer, Hou Yi, succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yi stole the elixir of life to save the people from his tyrannical rule, but his wife, Chang-E drank it. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon to whom young Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival. 传说古时候，天空曾有10个太阳。一天，这10个太阳同时出现，酷热难挡。弓箭手后翌射下了其中9个太阳，拯救了地球上的生灵。他偷了长生不死药，却被妻子嫦娥偷偷喝下。此后，每年中秋月圆之时，少女们都要向月宫仙女嫦娥祈福的传说便流传开来。 In the 14th century, the eating of mooncakes at "Zhong Qiu Jie" was given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians, the rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn mooncakes. Zhong Qiu Jie is hence also a commemoration of the overthrow of the Mongolians by the Han people. 在14世纪，中秋节吃月饼又被赋予了一层特殊的含义。传说在朱元璋带兵起义推翻元朝时，将士们曾把联络信藏在月饼里。因此，中秋节后来也成为汉人推翻蒙古人统治的纪念日。 During the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1206-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (A.D.960-1279) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this event. 在元朝，蒙古人统治中国。前朝统治者们不甘心政权落入外族之手，于是密谋策划联合起义。正值中秋将近，起义首领就命令部下制作一种特别的月饼，把起义计划藏在每个月饼里。到中秋那天，起义军获取胜利，推翻了元朝，建立明朝。今天，人们吃月饼来纪念此事。