The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month， usually in October in Gregorian calendar.
The Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history. Like other traditional festivals， it developed gradually. In ancient China， emperors followed the rite of offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and to the moon in autumn. Historical books of the Zhou Dynasty had had the word “Mid-Autumn”. Later aristocrats and literary figures helped expand the ceremony① to common people. They enjoyed the full， bright moon on that day， worshipped it and expressed their thoughts and feelings under it. By the Tang Dynasty (618—907)， the Mid-Autumn Festival had been fixed， which became even grander② in the Song Dynasty (960—1279). In the Ming (1368—1644) and Qing (1644—1911) dynasties， it grew to be a major festival of China.
Folklore about the origin of the festival go like this： In remote antiquity③， there were ten suns rising in the sky， which scorched all crops and drove people into dire poverty. A hero named Hou Yi was much worried about this， so he ascended to the top of the Kunlun Mountain and， directing his superhuman strength to full extent， drew his extraordinary bow and shot down the nine superfluous suns one after another. He also ordered the last sun to rise and set according to time. For this reason， he was respected and loved by the people and lots of people of ideals and integrity came to him to learn martial arts from him. A person named Peng Meng lurked in them.
Hou Yi had a beautiful and kindhearted wife named Chang E. One day on his way to the Kunlun Mountain to call on friends， he ran upon the Empress of Heaven Wangmu who was passing by. Empress Wangmu presented to him a parcel of elixir④， by taking which， it was said， one would ascend immediately to heaven and become a celestial being. Hou Yi， however， hated to part with his wife. So he gave the elixir to Chang E to treasure for the time being. Chang E hid the parcel in a treasure box at her dressing table when， unexpectedly， it was seen by Peng Meng.
One day when Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting， Peng Meng， sword in hand， rushed into the inner chamber and forced Chang E to hand over the elixir. Aware that she was unable to defeat Peng Meng， Chang E made a prompt⑤ decision at that critical moment. She turned round to open her treasure box， took up the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. As soon as she swallowed the elixir her body floated off the ground， dashed out of the window and flew towards heaven. Peng Meng escaped.
When Hou Yi returned home at dark， he knew from the maidservants what had happened. Overcome with grief， Hou Yi looked up into the night sky and called out the name of his beloved wife when， to his surprise， he found that the moon was especially clear and bight and on it there was a swaying⑥ shadow that was exactly like his wife. He tried his best to chase after the moon. But as he ran， the moon retreated； as he withdrew， the moon came back. He could not get to the moon at all.
Thinking of his wife day and night， Hou Yi then had an incense table arranged in the back garden that Chang E loved. Putting on the table sweetmeats and fresh fruits Chang E enjoyed most， Hou Yi held at a distance a memorial ceremony for Chang E who was sentimentally⑦ attached to him in the palace of the moon.
When people heard of the story that Chang E had turned into a celestial being， they arranged the incense table in the moonlight one after another and prayed kindhearted Chang E for good fortune and peace. From then on the custom of worshiping the moon spread among the people.
People in different places follow various customs， but all show their love and longing for a better life.
① ceremonyn. 仪式，典礼
② granderadj. 重要的，重大的
③ antiquityn. 古代
④ elixiradj. 长生不老药
⑤ promptadj. 及时的，马上的
⑥ swayv. 摇动，摇摆
⑦ sentimentallyadv. 深情的，多情的
中秋节
每年农历八月十五日，是传统的中秋佳节。这时是一年秋季的中期，所以被称为中秋。
中秋节有悠久的历史，和其它传统节日一样，也是慢慢发展形成的。在中国的古时候，帝王有春天祭日，秋天祭月的礼制，早在《周礼》一书中，已有“中秋”一词的记载。后来贵族和文人学士也仿效起来，在中秋时节，对着天上又亮又圆一轮皓月，观赏祭拜，寄托情怀，这种习俗就这样传到民间，形成一个传统的活动，一直到了唐代，中秋节才成为固定的节日。到了宋朝，这个节日更加盛行起来。至明清时，中秋节成为我国的主要节日之一。
相传，远古时候天上有十日同时出现，晒得庄稼枯死，民不聊生，一个名叫后羿的英雄，力大无穷，他同情受苦的百姓，登上昆仑山顶，运足神力，拉开神弓，一气射下九个多太阳，并严令最后一个太阳按时起落，为民造福。后羿因此受到百姓的尊敬和爱戴，不少志士慕名前来投师学艺，心术不正的蓬蒙也混了进来。
后羿有一个美丽的妻子叫“嫦娥”。一天，后羿到昆仑山访友求道，巧遇由此经过的王母娘娘，便向王母求得一包不死药。据说，服下此药，能即刻升天成仙。然而，后羿舍不得撇下妻子，只好暂时把不死药交给嫦娥珍藏。嫦娥将药藏进梳妆台的百宝匣里，不料被小人蓬蒙看见了。
一天，率众徒外出狩猎，蓬蒙手持宝剑闯入内宅后院，威逼嫦娥交出不死药。嫦娥知道自己不是蓬蒙的对手，危急之时她当机立断，转身打开百宝匣，拿出不死药一口吞了下去。嫦娥吞下药，身子立时飘离地面、冲出窗口，向天上飞去。蓬蒙便借机逃走了。
傍晚，后羿回到家，侍女们哭诉了白天发生的事。后羿气得捶胸顿足，悲痛欲绝，仰望着夜空呼唤爱妻的名字，这时他惊奇地发现，今天的月亮格外皎洁明亮，而且有个晃动的身影酷似嫦娥。他拼命朝月亮追去，可是他追三步，月亮退三步，他退三步，月亮进三步，无论怎样也追不到跟前。
后羿无可奈何，又思念妻子，只好派人到嫦娥喜爱的后花园里，摆上香案，放上她平时最爱吃的蜜食鲜果，遥祭在月宫里眷恋着自己的嫦娥。
百姓们闻知嫦娥奔月成仙的消息后，纷纷在月下摆设香案，向善良的嫦娥祈求吉祥平安。自那以后，祭拜月宫的习俗就这样在民间流传开来。
中秋节的习俗很多，形式也各不相同，但都寄托着人们对生活无限的热爱和对美好生活的向往。
