To the Chinese, Mid-Autumn Festival means family reunion and peace. The festival is celebrated when the moon is believed to be the biggest and fullest. To the Chinese, a full moon is a symbol of prosperity, happiness, and family reunion.
对中国人来说，中秋节意味着团聚、平安。人们觉得，中秋节的月亮最大、最圆。满月象征着繁荣、幸福和团圆。
中国人怎么过中秋？How the Chinese Celebrate Mid-Autumn？Many traditional and meaningful celebrations are held in most households in China, and China's neighboring countries. The main traditions and celebrations include eating mooncakes, having dinner with family, gazing at and worshipping the moon, and lighting lanterns.
大部分中国家庭以及中国的邻国都会举行许多传统的庆祝活动，主要庆祝方式包括吃月饼，吃团圆饭，赏月和点灯笼。
中秋节起源Why Mid-Autumn Festival is Celebrated and How it Started？版本一：Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years, dating back to moon worship in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC). It's such an important festival that many poems were written about it, stories and legends about the festival are widespread, and its origins have been guessed at and explained by generations of Chinese.
中秋节有三千多年历史，可以追溯到商代时对月亮的崇拜。因为中秋节的重要地位，历代诗人都会为中秋节写诗，关于中秋节的故事、传奇在民间广为流传，中秋节的起源也被历代中国人探究。
The term "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the book Rites of Zhou (周礼), written in the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). But the term only related to the time and season; the festival didn't exist at that point.
“中秋”一词最早出现在战国时期《周礼》一书中，但是该词只和时间和季节有关，当时还没有中秋节。
In the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), it was popular to appreciate the moon. Many poets liked to create poems related to the moon when appreciating it. There is a legend that Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty visited the Moon Palace in his dream and heard a wonderful song.
唐代时赏月风靡，诗人在赏月之时佳作连连。据传，唐玄宗曾在梦中去往月宫并听到优美的歌声。
In the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127 AD), the 15th day of the 8th lunar month was established as the "Mid-Autumn Festival". From then on, sacrificing to the moon was very popular, and has become a custom ever since.
北宋时期，农历八月十五才被正式确立为中秋节，从那以后，为月亮献祭盛行，从那以后便成为风俗。
版本二：The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month， usually in early September to early October of the Gregorian calendar with full moon at night. It is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance，harmony and luck. Adults will usually indulge in fragrant mooncakes of many varieties with a good cup of piping hot Chinese tea， while the little ones run around with their brightly-lit lanterns.
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。在这天，每个家庭都团聚在一起，一家人共同观赏象征丰裕、和谐和幸运的圆月。此时，大人们吃着美味的月饼，品着热腾腾的香茗，而孩子们则在一旁拉着兔子灯尽情玩耍。
The festival has a long history. 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 ceremony 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 grander 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.
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，古代帝王有春天祭日，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，这种祭月的风俗更为人们重视，中秋节才成为固定的节日，《唐书·太宗记》记载有“八月十五中秋节”，这个节日盛行于宋朝，至明清时，已与元旦齐名，成为我国的主要节日之一。
The Mid-Autumn Festival probably began as a harvest festival. The festival was later given a mythological flavour with legends of Chang-E， the beautiful lady in the moon.
中秋节最早可能是一个庆祝丰收的节日。后来，月宫里美丽的仙女嫦娥的神话故事赋予了它神话色彩。
中秋节还有哪些习俗呢？赏月
admire the full moon /
watch the full moon to celebrate the festival
碧空如洗，圆月如盘。人们在尽情赏月之际，会情不自禁地想念远游在外、客居异乡的亲人。中国人历来把家人团圆、亲友团聚，共享天伦之乐看得极其珍贵，历来有“花好月圆人团聚”之谓。
点灯笼light lanterns
中秋之夜，天清如水，月明如镜，可谓良辰之美景，然而对此人们并未满足，于是便有燃灯以助月色的风俗。
玩花灯play with lanterns / scaldfish
中秋玩花灯主要只是在家庭、儿童之间进行的，多集中在南方。
祭月offering sacrifice to the moon
中秋祭月仪式是一种古老的祭祀礼仪，表达人们祈求月神降福人间的一种美好心愿。
嫦娥奔月Long, long time ago，10 suns appeared in the sky. They looked like 10 fireballs，which scorched the entire earth.
There was a sharp shooter named Hou Yi who attempted to help people to shoot down the excess suns. Hou Yi shot down nine suns at one time, and left the last one. Hou Yi commanded that the sun should rise and fall on time each day to benefit the people.
Because of his contribution in shooting down the suns and saving the world，the queen Wang Mu gave Hou Yi a magic pill which could make him a god and became immortal.
Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife Chang-e alone and became immortal. So he gave the elixir to her and asked her to keep it. This sense was seen by an evil minded man whose name was Pang Meng.
After Hou Yi became famous, many people came to learn the archery from him. Peng Meng was one of them. One day Hou Yi went out for hunting with his disciples leaving chang-e at home alone. Peng Meng pretended to be ill, and did not go with them.
After Hou Yi left，Pang Meng broke into Hou Yi's house with a sword. And forced Chang-e to give him the pill. Chang-e worried that Pang Meng will bring disasters to human being after he got the magic.
So she swallowed the pill. After swallowing the pill, Chang-e felt that her body became very light immediately. And she flew to the heaven. Chang-e worried about Hou Yi. So she only flew to the moon which was nearest to the earth and became the moon goddess.
Chang-e was accompanied by a jade rabbit in the moon every day. She missed her husband very much. So did her husband Hou Yi. He also wanted to meet Chang-e again.
A god taught Hou Yi a method: Using flour to make a cake which looked like the full moon on August 15th. And placing it on the Northwest of the house. Then calling Chang-e's name continuously. Then Chang-e would come back and reunite with him.
Hou Yi made many cakes according to the god's method on August 15th. And Chang-e really came back home from the moon. Later on, people called this round flour-made cake “moon cake” and passed it on from generation to generation.
从古至今，都流传着很多关于中秋节的美丽传说，比如“嫦娥奔月”“吴刚砍桂”以及“玉兔捣药”等传说。今天说一说“嫦娥奔月”这个小故事吧。
相传，远古时候天上同时有十个太阳出现，晒得庄稼枯死，河流干涸，百姓们都快要生存不下去了。
这时，有一个叫做后羿的人，力大无穷，他看见老百姓们的生活很是同情，于是就登上了昆仑山顶，运足神力，拉满神弓，将天上的太阳射下来9个，并命令最后一个太阳朝升暮落，造福人间。
后羿因此成为了百姓们尊敬的人，后来后羿娶了一位善良美丽的妻子，名叫嫦娥，两个人的感情非常好。
后羿在射下了太阳之后，有很多人慕名前来拜师学艺，有一个叫做蓬蒙的心术不正的人混了进来，跟着后羿拜师学艺。
一天，后羿到昆仑山拜访朋友，巧遇王母娘娘，就向王母娘娘求了一包不死药。据说，服下此药就能升天成仙。可是后羿不愿意撇下自己的妻子，就把不死药交给了嫦娥保管。嫦娥将不死药放进了梳妆台的百宝匣里，不料却被心术不正的蓬蒙看见了，于是就起了歹心。
几天后，后羿带领徒弟外出打猎的时候，蓬蒙借口生病留了下来。后羿走后不久，蓬蒙就手持宝剑闯入了后宅内院，威逼嫦娥交出不死药。嫦娥知道自己不是蓬蒙对手，情急之下就拿出不死药一口吞了下去。嫦娥吞下药之后，身子立马就飘向了天空，嫦娥牵挂自己的丈夫，于是就落在了离人间最近的月亮上成了仙。
等到后羿回到家，知道出事之后，拿起剑去*恶徒，蓬蒙却早已逃走，后羿只能对着天空呼唤嫦娥的名字。不久，他发现月亮上有一个人影很像嫦娥，于是就经常对着月亮思念自己的妻子，拿出嫦娥平时喜爱吃的鲜果蜜食，遥寄相思之情。
百姓们在得知嫦娥奔月成仙的消息之后，纷纷在月下摆设香案，向善良的嫦娥祈求吉祥平安。从此中秋赏月拜月的风俗就这样传开了。
【中秋节题材作文】【题目】假定你是李华，你的美国笔友Mike即将随其父母来中国并在中国度过中秋节，发邮件向你咨询有关中秋节的习俗。请你回复邮件，内容包括：
1. 传统节日，历史悠久；
2. 家庭团圆，共进晚餐；
3. 饭后月饼，一起赏月。
【满分范文】
Dear Mike,
I’m glad to know that you are coming to China with your parents and spend the Mid-Autumn Day here.
Dating back to Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Day is one of the most important Chinese traditional festivals with a long history. It falls on August 15th of the Chinese lunar year, when people of a family get together and enjoy the dinner together. After that they eat mooncakes , which stands for the spirit of the festival—unity, harmony and happiness. Weather permitting, people will often enjoy the bright full moon in the open air, talking about something pleasant or sharing interesting stories.
Wish you a pleasant journey and I’m sure you will like our traditional Mid-Autumn Day.
Yours,
Li Hua
视频丨中秋节传说之：玉兔捣药（普通话）
视频丨中秋节传说之：吴刚伐桂（普通话）
视频丨中秋节传说之嫦娥奔月（英文）
