中秋已至，皎月映照，桂香萦绕，这一轮圆月，寄托着无数华夏儿女共同的情感与祝福。
中秋起源：秋夕祭月，纳吉祈福
Origins of Mid - Autumn Festival

The festival is said to be derived from the custom of moon worship during the Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago, the term “Mid-Autumn “ first appeared in the book Rites of Zhou(周礼）. In ancient China, the emperors worshiped the moon annually. The custom was gradually accepted by the masses over time and became a festival in the Northern Song Dynasty ((A.D.960- A.D.1279). However the tradition of having moon cakes was not established until the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1271- A.D.1368). In 2008, China made the Mid-Autumn Festival a three days public holiday to better promote the traditional culture.
据说中秋起源于3000多年前周朝的拜月习俗，“中秋”最早出现在《周礼》：中秋皆因八月居孟仲季三秋之中，而十五夕恰为月中，故八月十五称之中秋，或“八月半”。
中国古代，皇帝每年都会在中秋时拜月祈福。而这一习俗逐渐在民间发展，北宋时期正式颁布农历八月十五为中秋节。而吃月饼的习俗到了元朝才流行起来。为了更好地弘扬中华民族传统文化，2008年，我国将中秋节纳入法定节日，规定休假三天。
中秋传说：后羿射月，嫦娥奔月
Tales of Mid-Autumn

A well-known festival story tells the tale of Chang’e and her husband Houyi, an expert archer. When the suns rose together threatening the Earth, Houyi saved the planet from burning when he shot down nine of them.
He was rewarded with an elixir for this heroic deed. A devious disciple tried to steal the elixir but was foiled by Chang’e . She drank the entire bottle of elixir and flew to the moon and became a Goddess of the Moon. Shen was worshiped by people for peace and luck.
关于嫦娥和后羿，在历史上有个家喻户晓的传说，相传远古时期，天上有十个太阳，烤焦了大地，老百姓们苦不堪言。力大无比的后羿射下九个太阳，从此地球远离灼烧之殇。
据说昆仑山上的西王母为奖励后羿射下九个太阳的功劳，就赐给后羿一丸长生不老的灵丹妙药，并告诉后羿，如果服了这个仙丸，便可成仙。 后羿的一个弟子得知此事后，秘密地溜到后羿家里偷仙药，被嫦娥发现，为了阻止这个弟子盗取仙药，嫦娥一口吞下了一瓶的仙药，飞升到月球，成为月神。后来百姓祭拜嫦娥祈求和平和好运。
中秋节俗：
赏月饮酒，丹桂飘香
Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival
（1）Mooncakes and Moon appreciation
品月饼、邀明月
Having mooncakes and appreciating the Moon are the most common and representative traditions of the day. Mooncakes are a kind of Chinese pastry and the round shape symbolizes reunion. Mooncakes on the market are various, the types of fillings vary according to the region’s traditions. The most used fillings are as follows:
品月饼和赏月是中秋最常见的传统习俗，不管市面上月饼的种类繁多，或是馅料的种类因地而异，但月饼的形状都是圆形的，代表着团圆。常见的馅料有：枣泥、果仁、豆沙为主的北方系派，蛋黄莲蓉、鲜肉、抹茶、玫瑰花瓣为主的南方系派。

(2) A moonlit Crab Crawl to Bring Wealth and Fortune
蟹爬明月，送财富和吉祥
Every Mid-Autumn Festival, there was once a custom called “Crab crawl moon”along Tianjin’s coast. On the evening of the Moon Festival, people put small candles or oil twists on crab’s backs. Then let them loose in the yard to observe their movements. If the majority of crabs stayed crawling inside the courtyard, it symbolized fortune and wealth would visit the family.
每年中秋节这天，天津沿海一带民间流行“蟹爬明月”的习俗。中秋节的晚上，人们把小蜡烛或油捻安放在螃蟹背上。然后把它们放在院子里查看它们爬行的轨迹，如果螃蟹只在院子爬来爬去，就代表着来年好运降临，必发大财。

（3）lanterns-making 制作花灯

People used to make lanterns themselves as a family activity and the children loved it. Nowadays,parks in the cities will put on fabulous lantern shows that come in different shapes and colors.
过去人们常常自己制作花灯，并把它当作中秋聚会，阖家欢乐的家庭活动，这一活动深受孩子们的喜爱。如今，城市公园举行花式多样，美轮美奂的花灯秀展。
（4）Watching the Flood Tide of the Qiangtang River观钱塘江大潮

In Zhenjiang Province,watching the flood tide of the Qianjiang River is an important celebratory activity. The ebb and flow of the tides coincide with the waxing and waning of the moon, creating particularly huge tides on the Mid-Autumn day. It has also become a famous tourist attraction in the region.
钱塘江观潮是中秋节的一项重要的庆祝活动，也是该地区著名的旅游景点，潮汐的涨落与月亮的盈亏相吻合，故中秋节的时候潮汐会很壮观。
（5）Drinking Osmanthus wine 饮桂花酒

Drinking Osmanthus wine during Mid -Autumn Festival is a tradition that has been kept alive through the ages.
In addition to appreciating the full moon and having mooncakes, drinking Osmanthus wine at Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes a harmonious family ,wealth and auspiciousness. It ‘s a long held practice in China that is especially popular in the Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces.
在中秋节，除了赏月，品月饼的传统习俗外，在江浙一带还盛行的传统习俗就是饮桂花酒，中秋节饮桂花酒象征着家庭合睦，财富和吉祥。

2021年9月21日中秋节 兰泽葳蕤整理自网络，兰泽葳蕤编译