When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2017? The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2017? The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in my country. On this night, people get together to have a reunion dinner and admire the moon. Next, let’s take a look at the specific time of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2017?

General Overview

1. The Mid-Autumn Festival in 2017 is on October 4, which is Wednesday, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

2. Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient festival and the second largest traditional festival in my country after the Spring Festival.

3. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the full moon in the sky is exceptionally bright, big and round, so the whole family will enjoy the moon together on this night.

4. The Mid-Autumn Festival is known as the most humane and poetic festival. It is also regarded as a great day for remembrance and reunion. Therefore, every household eats mooncakes on this day to show "reunion".

5. Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day: October 1 to 8 will be holidays, a total of 8 days. Go to work on September 30th (Saturday). The Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day are both holidays for 3 days.

The Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival

1. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in China and falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar every year. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, August is the second month of autumn, which was called Zhongqiu in ancient times, and is therefore called Mid-Autumn Festival among the people.

2. The word Mid-Autumn Festival was first seen in "The Book of Zhou". "The Book of Rites·Monthly Ordinances" said: "In the middle of autumn, people take care of the elderly and eat porridge." But it did not specify which day of August it was. Legend has it that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty dreamed of traveling to the Moon Palace and heard the song "Nichang Yuyi Qu". Then the custom of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival became popular among the people.

3. The Mid-Autumn Festival was popular in the Song Dynasty. When Zhu Yuanzhang started his army in the late Yuan Dynasty, he used mooncakes to secretly convey the message of "kill the Tartars (i.e. the Mongols) on August 15th." In the first year of Hongwu (1368), Zhu Yuanzhang rewarded his ministers with mooncakes as a seasonal cake.

4. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mid-Autumn Festival had become a major traditional festival in China. According to the "Zhengde Jiangning County Chronicles", on Mid-Autumn Festival night, Nanjing people must watch the moon. Watching the moon as a family is called "celebrating reunion", sitting together for a drink is called "full moon", and going out to the market is called "walking the moon".

Legend about the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival

1. Houyi, the ancient hero who shot down the sun, married Chang'e and became an emperor. However, he became more and more violent, implemented evil policies many times, and became a great tyrant.

2. One day, Houyi obtained a packet of elixir of immortality from the Queen Mother of the West. As long as he took the elixir, he could live forever.

3. After knowing this, Chang'e swallowed all the elixir of immortality in order to save the people from Houyi's eternal rule, then turned into a fairy and flew to the Moon Palace.

4. After people learned that Chang'e flew to the moon and became an immortal, they set up incense tables under the moon and prayed to Chang'e for peace and good fortune. This gradually formed the custom of worshiping the moon on Mid-Autumn Festival.