我的童年在英國渡過，每一年的中秋節我們一家就會跟其他身在異鄉的人一樣，遙遙地慶祝。上世紀8、90年代，中秋節在西方人眼中還不算是特別重大的節慶，不及中國新年及其他傳統節日觸目。不過慶祝用的月餅、燈籠就越來越多人喜愛。到我長大之後跑到了北京工作，每年都會跟著幾千人走到公園裡慶祝，我才開始明白中秋節有比起文化節慶更加深遠的意義。亞洲各地都會慶祝中秋節，雖然各有不同特色，不過燭光、家庭團圓和美食總會一同出現。韓國人叫這一天做「秋夕」或「仲秋」，大家都會回家和家人渡過，形式就似感恩節一樣。在斯里蘭卡，月圓時興祝的就是「滿月節」，依照佛教傳統，上百萬人會到寺廟參拜。越南在亞洲的另一邊，他們興祝的中秋節也就是兒童節，主題都是為小朋友而設。

中秋節始終源自中國，中國的慶祝方式就匯集各地的特色，公園裡的男孩和女孩會帶上自己的燈籠和家人一起欣賞著造型龐大的燈籠裝置。這些裝置用了一整年時間去設計和製作，就是為了這幾天的慶祝活動。不可少的當然還有月餅，圓圓的外形正好代表月亮，味道和用料就越來越多變化。傳統之外有沒有其他意義呢？為此大家可以翻一翻看神話傳說。中秋節的由來與嫦娥奔月的故事很有關係，嫦娥喝下了丈夫后羿的長生不老藥之後縱身飛到了天上，后羿因為擔心嫦娥找不到回家的路，於是擺上蜜食鮮果，遙遙地表達對妻子的掛念。百姓們聽到了嫦娥奔月的傳說，大家抬頭一看，月亮上晃動的黑影就好像嫦娥一樣。到了近代，中國的登月計劃也取名嫦娥。這項計劃在2003年公布，2007 年完成處女首航，送上月亮的是太空車、軌道飛行儀和登月器，連負責驅動的長征火箭都由中國自行開發。遠古的歷史傳說，現代的科技實踐，一個在亞洲廣受歡迎的中國傳統節日，透過5000萬名散居在遠至三藩市、聖保羅、曼谷以至巴馬科的中國人傳揚開去。中秋節的源頭是中國，慢慢又與世界各地不同的文化融合，傳統文化和習俗又把大家拉在一起。地球很大，但人與人的距離又越來越近。

Love You to the Moon and Back  

As a child, growing up in England, the Mid-Autumn Festival was a chance for our family, like many others, to celebrate this holiday from afar. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Mid-Autumn Festival was lightly observed in the West, not as widely known internationally as the Chinese New Year, but gaining in recognition, as more people became accustomed to the mooncakes and lanterns associated with the fall season. As an adult though, by this time working in Beijing, I joined thousands of people in the parks each year, and through them began to understand that it’s much more than simply a cultural experience.  

The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated around Asia and while each country has its own traditions, it often involves light, family and culinary delicacies. In South Korea, they call the holiday ‘Chuseok’ or ‘Autumn Eve’, and they celebrate by traveling home to see their families, a bit like Thanksgiving.  In Sri Lanka, where a full moon day is known as ‘poya’, the festival is crafted around Buddhist traditions, which is why millions of people visit temples during this holiday. And in Vietnam, yet another part of Asia, Mid-Autumn Festival is ‘Tet Trung Tu’ or ‘Children’s Festival’ because of the emphasis on our youngest generation. But the festival has its roots in China, and that is why ‘Zhongqiujie’ combines many of these customs. 

In parks, girls and boys carry their own lanterns, while families enjoy intricate displays of much larger lanterns that have been designed and created year-round just for these few days. And of course, the mooncake, round in shape to resemble its lunar origins, and now available in many flavors and textures. But what is the greater significance of all of these traditions? For that, we need to go back in time. 

The spiritual aspect of the Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the goddess Chang’e who according to Chinese mythology, flew to the moon after drinking a potion, an elixir of immortality that was given to her husband, Hou Yi.  When Chang’e couldn’t find a way to return home, Hou Yi prepared gifts of food and fruit to show her how much he missed her. And so, the legend goes, when the Chinese people look up at the moon, they believe the shadow is Chang’e. Today, Chang’e is also the name of China’s lunar exploration program, founded in 2003 with its maiden flight in 2007, where lunar rovers, orbiters and landers are propelled into space using self-developed Long March rockets. 

So, there are ancient and modern associations with the Mid-Autumn Festival and the many countries that celebrate it are not only in Asia, but through the 50 million Chinese diaspora from San Francisco to Sao Paolo, and Bangkok to Bamako. It may have begun in China, but the Mid-Autumn Festival is an example of the globalization of culture, and how we are unified by these traditions and values as the world gets smaller and closer.  

I’m James Chau. From everyone at The China Current, wishing you. 中秋节快乐。