The Mid-Autumn or Moon Fetival i one rich in poetic(诗意的) ignificance. Ancient legend(古代的传说) that became interwoven with thi fetival‘ celebration further contribute to the warm regard in which it ha alway been held by the Chinee people. According to the lunar calendar(农历)， the eventh， eighth， and ninth month contitute the autumn eaon. Mid-Autumn Fetival fall on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month， preciely in the middle of thi eaon， when the heat of the ummer ha given way to cool autumn weather， marked by blue kie and gentle breeze. On thi day the moon i at it greatet ditance from the earth; at no other time i it o luminou. Then， a the Chinee ay， “The moon i perfectly round.” In the village the heavy work involved in the ummer harvet ha already been completed but the autumn harvet ha not yet arrived.
The actual origin of the Mid-Autumn Fetival are till very unclear. The earliet record are from the time of the great Han dynaty emperor Wu Di (156-87 B.C.)， who initiated celebration lating three day， including banquet and “Viewing the Moon” evening on the Toad Terrace. We know that people during the Jin dynaty (265-420 A.D.) continued the cutom of Mid-Autumn Fetival celebration， and imilar account have come down to u from the time of the Tang dynaty. During the Ming dynaty (1368-1644) houe and garden were decorated with numerou lantern and the ound of gong and drum filled the air.[由www.hAozuowEn.com整理]
Moon cake came on ale hortly before fetival time. In the pat， one could get ome cake haped like pagoda， other like a hore and rider， fih or animal. Still other were decorated with the image of rabbit， flower， or goddee. There were a myriad of different filling available： ugar， melon eed， almond， orange peel， weetened caia bloom， or bit of ham and preerved beef. The cake are of the northern and outhern tyyle， but the latter (alo called Guangdong-tyle) are the mot popular and are available throughout the country.
The round hape of cake jut ymbolize not only the moon but alo the unity of the family. Therefore the Mid-Autumn Fetival i actually a day for family reunion.