The Mid-Autumn Festival: A Homecoming Celebration

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is one of the Chinese people’s most beloved holidays. Celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the festival is a time of reunion, thanksgiving, and celebrating the gift of the harvest and the company of family and friends.
The Mid-Autumn Festival: A Homecoming Celebration
9/22/2008
Updated:
5/7/2013

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is one of the Chinese people’s most beloved holidays. Celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, the festival is a time of reunion, thanksgiving, and celebrating the gift of the harvest and the company of family and friends.  

Staging the Mid-Autumn Spectacular in Toronto for the second time is a particularly special occasion for the Divine Performing Arts, as several of its members are originally from that city.  

“I’ve been to a lot of cities, but the feelings and mood of coming back to Toronto are very different. It is like the warm feeling of a homecoming,” said lead choreographer Tia Zhang, a former National Ballet of Canada teacher.  

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient China when people offered food sacrifices to honour the god of the moon at harvest time.  There is also a popular legend behind the festival.  

“Chang'e Hastening to the Moon” tells the story of a time when China was plagued by 10 burning suns. A brave man called Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns, thus avoiding calamity and bringing prosperity to the region.  

One day, Hou Yi met a deity in the mountains who gave him an immortality potion which would enable Hou Yi, too, to become a deity. Not wanting to leave his wife, Chang'e, he gave the potion to her for safe-keeping. But one day while he was away, a treacherous friend by the name of Peng Meng tried to steal the potion.  

Realizing that she could not fight off the stronger Peng Meng, Chang'e placed the elixir in her mouth as she ran away from him. Immediately her body became light and she began to float up to the sky. But because she was concerned about her husband, she couldn’t fly too high and landed on the moon, the heavenly body nearest to earth.  

When Hou Yi returned home he was heartbroken to find her gone. He went to Chang'e’s garden and built an altar for her. There, he placed foods and fresh fruits as offerings to his wife on the moon.

In the past, Divine Performing Arts has honoured the legend of Chang'e through a special performance called “Lady of the Moon.” Through the wide breadth of Chinese classical dance, the performers and the choreographers have tried to capture the values of bravery, loyalty and devotion that the story represents.  

The Divine Performing Arts Mid-Autumn Spectacular will play at the John Bassett Theatre in the Toronto Convention Centre from September 24-28.

 

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