Before 19 1 1 officially changed to the Gregorian calendar, China people used the lunar calendar since ancient times; Even today, people in China still celebrate their traditional festivals according to the lunar calendar. In each lunar month, the first day (new moon) and 15 (full moon) are important events; The first month15th (Lantern Festival) and August15th (Mid-Autumn Festival, September 9th in Gregorian calendar) are the biggest celebrations besides the Lunar New Year and Dragon Boat Festival.
Cupid in China is called "the old man under the moon" (る? ρ? ) and tie the feet of men and women together with a red line to make them husband and wife-whether they come from hostile families or far away.
The most insane mortal in the history of China could have been the great poet Li Bai (AD 70 1-762), who once invited the moon and his shadow to drink together and formed a three-person band. One night, Li was as drunk as a fiddler. In order to catch the moon, he finally threw himself into the river. Other China legends about the moon abound.
Legend of the moon
Moon cakes are best served with oolong tea or jasmine tea.
Hou Yi was a great archer and architect. He shot down nine suns that suddenly appeared in the sky, thus saving the earth from being burnt. He also built a jade temple for the goddess of the West. To this end, he got a pill containing an elixir of life as a reward, but there was an additional condition-he had to fast and pray for a year before taking it. His wife Chang 'e, whose beauty is second only to her curiosity, found and swallowed the pill, and soon flew to the moon and became a permanent resident there. When Chang 'e arrived on the moon, she coughed up a pill in frustration and turned into a jade rabbit, pounding out the elixir for the immortal day and night.
Another China resident who lives permanently on the moon is Wu Kang. He is a lazy guy. Before disappointing his last immortal master, he kept changing apprentices. Wu learned the art of immortality from him, but he was punished for cutting down a laurel tree on the moon, which was an impossible task. The wound on the tree healed completely that day, so Wu Kang kept chopping. Some people in China are eager to drink his osmanthus wine.
People in China believe that the moon is the biggest and brightest, and Chang 'e is the most beautiful on the night of 15 in the eighth month of the lunar calendar. They were at least half right, because most of China was in the dry season and the moon was the brightest. At that time, the weather was also very cool, which was an excellent opportunity to celebrate the just-concluded harvest; Therefore, Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Harvest Festival. This festival is a time for families to get together and enjoy the full moon (Shang Yue Festival) and eat moon cakes together. Bathed in the bright moonlight, accompanied by chrysanthemums and osmanthus flowers, the poet ate crab meat and moon cakes, drank tea and wine and sang the night.
mooncake
enjoy a bright full moon
The custom of China people eating moon cakes was first recorded during the reign of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty (874-889 AD) and became popular in the Song Dynasty (960- 1279 AD). Mooncakes are traditionally made in the shape of a full moon, symbolizing unity and perfection. They are usually about the size of doughnuts and filled with various fillings, such as bean paste, egg yolk, lotus seeds, dates, pineapples, walnuts, almonds and sesame seeds. The cunning Chu Yuan, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, incited the rebellion against the Mongolian rulers by hiding the call of uprising in moon cakes, which led to the demise of the Yuan Dynasty.
There are many styles of moon cakes in China. The most popular dishes in Taiwan Province are Cantonese, Soochow and Taiwanese. Cantonese-style mooncakes are thicker and heavier, while mooncake skins in Soochow and Taiwan Province are more brittle. In the past few years, a new kind of frozen and unbaked moon cake has become more and more popular, especially among young people. Durian, coconut meat, herbs, tea and coffee are all ingredients.
Most people in China eat moon cakes given by relatives, friends, employers or public relations personnel. Therefore, brand is very important. The most famous ones are Qihua, Maria and Xindongyang. Moon cakes are best served with oolong tea or jasmine tea.
It takes about 29 1/2 days for the moon to orbit the earth once, and the lunar month in China is either 29 days or 30 days. About every three years, an extra month (called leap month) is needed. 1995 There will be a second lunar August. 15 on the eighth day of the eighth lunar month is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is a public holiday designed by the government of the Republic of China. I wish you a happy holiday. Remember that mooncakes taste best when family members or lovers share them together.