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The Mid-Autumn Festival ( 추석/秋夕; also known as the '''Moon Festival''', '''Mooncake Festival''', or the '''August Moon Festival'''. In Malaysia , Singapore and Hong Kong , it may be referred to as the '''Lantern Festival''', similar in name to a Different Festival which falls on the fifteeth day of the Chinese New Year ) is a popular Chinese celebration of abundance and togetherness, dating back over 3,000 years to China 's Zhou Dynasty . The Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month of the Chinese Calendar (usually around mid- or late- September in the Gregorian Calendar ), a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the Solar Calendar . At this time, the moon is at its fullest and brightest, marking an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest. The traditional food of this festival is the Moon Cake , of which there are many different varieties. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar (the other being the Chinese Lunar New Year ), and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and Pomelo es together. Brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children. Together with the celebration, there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers, and fire Dragon Dance s. Shops selling mooncakes, before the festival, often display pictures of Chang'e , floating to the moon. STORIES OF THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL Hou Yi and Chang'e While Westerner s may talk about the "man in the moon", the Chinese talk 4 articles, named for the Prince of Huai). {Link without Title} ''' The Hare - Jade Rabbit According to tradition, the Jade Rabbit pounds medicine, together with the lady, Chang'e, for the gods. Others say that the Jade Rabbit is a shape, assumed by Chang'e herself. You may find that the dark areas to the top of the full moon may be construed as the figure of a rabbit. The animal's ears point to the upper right, while at the left are two large circular areas, representing its head and body. {Link without Title} In this legend, three fairy sages transformed themselves into pitiful old men, and begged for food from a Fox , a Monkey , and a hare. The fox and the monkey both had food to give to the old men, but the hare, empty-handed, jumped into a blazing fire to offer his own flesh instead. The sages were very thankful for the meat and ate it but the sages were so touched by the hare's sacrifice and act of kindness that they let him live in the Moon Palace, where he became the "Jade Rabbit". ]] Overthrow of Mongol rule The Mid-Autumn Festival also commemorates an uprising in s on the 15th day of the Eighth Moon''" (八月十五殺韃子). On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), under the rebel leader Zhu Yuanzhang. Henceforth, the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated with moon cakes on a national level. Vietnamese version The Vietnamese version of the holiday recounts the legend of ''Thằng Cuội'', whose Banyan tree was uprooted after his wife accidentally urinated on it and took him with it to the moon. Every year, on the mid-autumn festival, children light lanterns to show Cuội the way to get back to Earth. DATES The moon festival will occur on these days in coming years:
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