Moon Festival

Object Details

Creator

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Views

2,108

Video Title

Moon Festival

Description

The Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, takes place on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar when there is not only a full moon at night but also the largest and roundest full moon of the year. The Festival celebrates the reunion of family and friends who gather to view the large moon, recite poetry, and listen to music. No matter where they are, families and friends feel connected when they look up at the same moon. In Chinese tradition, they also celebrate a bountiful harvest and eat moon cakes, which are rich pastries with sweet or savory fillings. This video features an animated version of the Chinese story “Hou Yi and the Ten Suns.” The story explains how the great archer Hou Yi (后羿) shoots down nine of ten suns from the sky, and later marries Chang’e (嫦娥). When she drinks an elixir of immortality, she floats into the sky and becomes a moon goddess. For this reason, the Mid-Autumn Festival honors her. Learn more about the Moon Festival: https://s.si.edu/34zmOO7 Narration: Karlie Leung Animation: Aurélie Beatley [Catalog No. CFV11267; © 2014 Smithsonian Institution]

Video Duration

1 min 46 sec

YouTube Keywords

culture music performance tradition folk language festival smithsonian "washington dc"

Uploaded

2020-04-14T23:47:38.000Z

Type

YouTube Videos

See more by

smithsonianfolklife

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

YouTube Channel

smithsonianfolklife

YouTube Category

People & Blogs

Topic

Cultural property

Record ID

yt_j7Tu9IZJ9Ic

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply