板橋府中英文補習班│Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節英文 @ TOEIC,TOEFL,IELTS,全民英檢,SAT,菁英英日語-板橋分校

下禮拜一是農曆8月15號，一年一度的中秋佳節，

開心放連假之餘，你知道為什麼中秋節這麼重要，能成為三大節之一呢？

Mid-Autumn Festival中秋節，也翻作Moon Festival。除此之外，還可以以它相關的習俗來命名：Mooncake Festival月餅節、Reunion Festival團圓節、Harvest Moon and Chinese Thanksgiving豐收節等等。

中秋節最早是慶祝豐收的節日，含有三大意義。

Gathering, such as family and friends coming together, or harvesting crops

集結，除了指農作物的收成之外，也代表著家人朋友的相聚。

Thanksgiving, to give thanks for the harvest, or for harmonious unions

感謝，除了感恩神所給予的收成，也感謝大家和諧的團聚。

Praying (asking for conceptual or material satisfaction), such as for babies, a spouse, beauty, longevity, or for a good future

祈禱，祈精神上和物質上能滿足，以及美好的未來等等。

在這些意義之上，中秋節又增添了一些神話故事，賦予節日一些獨特的味道。

像是后羿射日Hou Yi the Sun-shooter、嫦娥奔月Chang'e the Lady in the Moon、月兔搗藥Jade Rabbit Grinds Medicine和吳剛伐桂Wu Kang Chops Down the Cassia Tree等。透過這些故事，讓我們對月亮充滿幻想，賞月之時腦海便浮現這些傳說，令人對中秋更加心生嚮往。

各國慶祝中秋節的方式和習慣也不太一樣，以下介紹各國的獨特習俗：

Taiwan 台灣

In Taiwan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a public holiday. Outdoor barbecues have become a popular affair for friends and family to gather and enjoy each other's company.As of 2011, Taipei City designated 11 riverside parks to accommodate outdoor barbecues for the public.

在台灣，中秋節是一個大眾的假期。戶外烤肉已經成為朋友和家人聚集在一起的流行活動。在2011年，台北指定11個河岸公園提供給大眾戶外烤肉。

Hong Kong and Macau 香港和澳門

In Hong Kong and Macau, the day after the Mid-Autumn Festival is a public holiday rather than the festival date itself, because many celebration events are held at night. There are a number of festive activities such as lighting lanterns, but mooncakes are the most important feature there.

在香港和澳門中秋節後的那一天是大眾的假日，因為很多慶祝活動都在晚上舉行，例如點燈籠。但是月餅是最重要的特徵。

However, peopledon't usually buy mooncakes for themselves, but to give their relatives as presents. Hence, mooncakes are sold in elegant boxes for presentation purpose. Also, the price for these boxes are not considered cheap—a four-mooncake box of the lotus seeds paste with egg yolks variety, can generally cost US$40 or more.

然而人們不買月餅給自己吃，而是當作禮物送給鄰居。因此月餅用高雅的盒子裝，就是為了這個目的。這樣盒裝的月餅並不便宜，有蛋黃的蓮蓉月餅，四盒瓶居要美金40元或更多。

The mooncake manufacturers also explore in the creation of new types of mooncakes, such as ice-cream mooncake and snow skin mooncake.

月餅廠商也開發新類型的月餅，巷是冰淇淋月餅和冰皮月餅。

Ethnic minorities in China 中國的少數名族

The Bouyei people call the occasion "Worshiping Moon Festival", where after praying to ancestors and dining together,they bring rice cakes to the doorway to worship the Moon Grandmother.

布依族的人稱為拜月節，再和祖先祈求和一起用餐過後，他們帶著年糕到門口膜拜月亮奶奶。

The Tu people practice a ceremony called "Beating the Moon", where they place a basin of clear water in the courtyard to reflect an image of the moon, and then beat the water surface with branches.

土族人舉行「打擊月亮」典禮，放置一盆乾淨的水在庭院中，反射月亮的影像，用樹枝打擊水的表面。

The Maonan people tie a bamboo near the table, on which a grapefruit is hung, with three lit incense sticks on it. This is called "Shooting the Moon".

毛南族人綁一根竹子在桌子旁，柚子懸吊在上，燒三炷香。這稱為「射月」。