国人不可不知的中秋节的由来

　　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。

　　中秋节，是中国的一个古老节日，因为八月十五这一天是在秋季的正中，所以称为中秋节。节日的特色是吃月饼和提灯笼，所以这个节日还叫做月饼节和灯笼节。

　　中秋节和农历新年一样，是一个家人大团圆的节日。中秋之夜，月亮最圆、最亮，月色也最娇美。家家户户把瓜果、月饼等食物，摆在院中的桌子上，一家人一面赏月一面吃月饼，正是"天上一轮才捧出，人间百姓仰头看"，这是多么美好的图景。

　　中秋节原是丰收的节日。在古代的农业社会，农民在丰收的季节里，总是大事庆祝一番。这个节日之所以成为佳节也和"嫦娥奔月"这个美丽的神话有关。传说，古时候天上有十个太阳，他们轮流出现，照亮大地和给大地带来温暖，但有一天，十个太阳却一起出现，大地上的农作物都被烤焦了。这是，有一个叫后羿的神箭手，把其中九个太阳射了下来，替万民消除了灾难。人们于是把他拥立为王。后羿当上皇帝后，沉迷酒色，随意杀人，成了暴君。他希望长生不老，跑到昆仑山盗取了王母娘娘的不死药，他的妻子嫦娥怕他长生不老，百姓受苦，把不死之药偷来吃了，于是她自己就轻飘飘地飞上了月宫。后来，一般妇女每逢中秋拜月，就是向月宫里的嫦娥拜祭。

　　中秋节的传统食品是月饼，月饼是圆行的，象征团圆，反映了人们对家人团聚的美好愿望。中秋节吃月饼据说始于元代，当时，朱元璋领导汉族人民把反抗元朝暴政，约定在八月十五这一天起义，以互增月饼的办法把字条夹在月饼中传递消息。中秋节吃月饼的习俗便在民间传开来。

　　后来，朱元璋终于把元朝推翻，成为明朝的第一个皇帝，虽然其后满清入主中国，但人民仍旧庆祝这个推翻异族统治的节日。