Chinese Traditions in the 21st Century

I walked to a nearby restaurant with a homegrown Chinese friend the other night. While on our way, we talked about the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival which is most popularly referred to as Mooncake Festival. My friend shared how he is saddened by the way the occasion is celebrated today. The very essence of the Chinese tradition is lost.

He said the same observation is true for all other Chinese festivities. The Chinese youths do not seem to understand the significance of the celebration. The day is simply looked upon as a holiday that frees them from school and work and thus they take time out to visit friends and relatives. They would rather celebrate Christmas and Valentine's Day which they find modern and fun than the traditional Chinese festivities.

The Mid-Autumn Festival

This week marked the beginning of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The "Fifteenth of the Eighth Moon". In the Western calendar, the day sometimes fall between the second week of September and the second week of October. Popularly known as "The Mooncake Festival". It is a traditional custom of worshipping the moon and can be traced back from Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.)

The Mid-Autumn festival remains more subdued compared with other Chinese celebrations. Traditionally, it is celebrated under the moonlight where people eat moon cakes while staring at the moon. The custom has been passed to generations as as symbol of family reunion.

The Spring Festival

Another very important celebration among Chinese is the Spring Festival known to many as the Chinese New Year celebration. It started circa 2000 BC. Emperor Yao lead members of his court and worship heaven and earth. Since then people marked that day as the beginning of the year. The day of the second new moon after the day the winter solstice occur. The beginning of Spring.

The celebration includes a religious ceremony given in honor of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household, and the family ancestors. The whole family will gather together for the celebration. Firecrackers were set together with red color ornaments to drive a legendary monster Nian. The festival will be ended with the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the New Year.