國人不可不知的中秋節(jié)的由來

　　Zhong Qiu Jie, which is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebratedon the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Becauseof its association with moocakes and lighted lanterns, thisfestival is also called the Mooncake or Lantern Festival。

　　Zhong Qiu Jie is a joyous celebration and the eighth month istraditionally a popular month for marriages. Like the Chinese NewYear, it is a time for family gatherings: it is an occasion forfamily members to get together over mooncakes and fruits. The fullmoon is especially bright and Zhong Qiu Jie is traditionally associated with shang yue or "moon appreciation" parties. Zhong Qiu Jie probably began as a harvest festival. In the Chinese agrarian community the harvesting season is a period for celebration and rejoicing. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E, the beautiful lady in the moon。

　　According to Chinese mythology the earth once had 10 sunscircling over it, each taking its turn to illuminate and bring warmth to the world. But one day all 10 suns appeared together,scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved when astrong archer Hou Yi, succeeded in shooting down 9 of the suns. Yistole the elixir of life but to save the people from his tyrannicalrule his wife Chang-E drank it. She found herself floating to themoon. Thus started the legend of the lady in the moon, to who myoung Chinese girls would pray at the Mid-Autumn Festival。

　　In the 14th century the eating of mooncakes at Zhong Qiu Jiewas given a new significance. The story goes that when Zhu YuanZhang was plotting to overthrow the Yuan dynasty started by theMongolians, the rebels hid their messages in the mid-Autumnmooncakes。

　　Zhu's efforts to oust the "barbarians" andreturn control of the country to the Han people succeeded, and hebecame the first emperor of the Ming dynasty. Although Han rule wasterminated in the 17th century by the Manchus, who started the Qingdynasty, Zhong Qiu Jie continues to be a commemoration of theoverthrow of the Mongolians by Han people。

　　中秋節(jié)，是中國的一個古老節(jié)日，因為八月十五這一天是在秋季的正中，所以稱為中秋節(jié)。節(jié)日的特色是吃月餅和提燈籠，所以這個節(jié)日還叫做月餅節(jié)和燈籠節(jié)。

　　中秋節(jié)和農(nóng)歷新年一樣，是一個家人大團圓的節(jié)日。中秋之夜，月亮最圓、最亮，月色也最嬌美。家家戶戶把瓜果、月餅等食物，擺在院中的桌子上，一家人一面賞月一面吃月餅，正是"天上一輪才捧出，人間百姓仰頭看"，這是多么美好的圖景。

　　中秋節(jié)原是豐收的節(jié)日。在古代的農(nóng)業(yè)社會，農(nóng)民在豐收的季節(jié)里，總是大事慶祝一番。這個節(jié)日之所以成為佳節(jié)也和"嫦娥奔月"這個美麗的神話有關。傳說，古時候天上有十個太陽，他們輪流出現(xiàn)，照亮大地和給大地帶來溫暖，但有一天，十個太陽卻一起出現(xiàn)，大地上的農(nóng)作物都被烤焦了。這是，有一個叫后羿的神箭手，把其中九個太陽射了下來，替萬民消除了災難。人們于是把他擁立為王。后羿當上皇帝后，沉迷酒色，隨意殺人，成了暴君。他希望長生不老，跑到昆侖山盜取了王母娘娘的不死藥，他的妻子嫦娥怕他長生不老，百姓受苦，把不死之藥偷來吃了，于是她自己就輕飄飄地飛上了月宮。后來，一般婦女每逢中秋拜月，就是向月宮里的嫦娥拜祭。

　　中秋節(jié)的傳統(tǒng)食品是月餅，月餅是圓行的，象征團圓，反映了人們對家人團聚的美好愿望。中秋節(jié)吃月餅據(jù)說始于元代，當時，朱元璋領導漢族人民把反抗元朝暴政，約定在八月十五這一天起義，以互增月餅的辦法把字條夾在月餅中傳遞消息。中秋節(jié)吃月餅的習俗便在民間傳開來。

　　后來，朱元璋終于把元朝推翻，成為明朝的第一個皇帝，雖然其后滿清入主中國，但人民仍舊慶祝這個推翻異族統(tǒng)治的節(jié)日。