Mid-Autumn Festival

Hello from my quiet home here on the Moon. My name is Chang’e, and for thousands of years, this has been my home. It is peaceful, with only the silent, shimmering stars and my loyal companion, the Jade Rabbit, for company. He is very good at pounding special herbs, but he isn’t much for conversation. Most of the time, I look down at the beautiful, swirling blue and white marble you call Earth, and I feel very far away. But there is one night each year when the distance between us seems to disappear. On the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest, I watch you celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. I can almost smell the sweet mooncakes and see the warm glow of your paper lanterns. On this special night, I feel your love and remembrance. You might wonder how a mortal woman like me came to live on the moon. It is a story of great love, a terrible danger, and a difficult choice, and I would like to share it with you.

It feels like a lifetime ago when I lived on Earth with my beloved husband, Hou Yi. He was the bravest man I had ever known and a truly heroic archer. In those days, the world faced a terrible crisis. Ten suns had appeared in the sky all at once. They took turns rising before, but now they blazed together, scorching the land. The rivers began to boil, the crops withered and died, and the people suffered terribly from the unbearable heat. It seemed as if the world was ending. But Hou Yi, with his mighty bow and incredible skill, would not let that happen. He climbed to the highest mountain, drew his bow, and with a steady hand, he shot down nine of the suns, one by one. He left just one to warm the Earth. The world was saved. As a reward for his bravery, the Queen Mother of the West gave him a special gift: an elixir of immortality. It was a single potion that would allow one person to live forever. But Hou Yi loved me too much to leave me behind, so we decided to keep it safe until we could find enough for us both. Unfortunately, one of his apprentices, a greedy man named Peng Meng, overheard our plans and wanted the elixir for himself.

One day, while Hou Yi was out hunting, Peng Meng broke into our home with a sword, demanding I give him the elixir. I knew I couldn't let such a selfish person have the gift of eternal life. I had to protect it, and there was only one way. With my heart pounding, I grabbed the bottle and drank the entire potion myself. Instantly, a strange, light feeling came over me. My feet lifted from the ground, and I began to float, higher and higher, out of the house and into the sky. It was a magical but bittersweet feeling, as I knew I was leaving my husband and my home forever. I didn't want to go too far, so I chose the Moon as my new home, the closest place to Earth where I could still watch over Hou Yi. When he returned and learned what happened, his heart was broken. He called my name to the night sky, and in the bright, full moon, he thought he could see my shape. To honor me, he set up a table with my favorite round fruits and sweet cakes, a loving offering under the moonlight. His neighbors saw his devotion and, moved by his love, they began to do the same to honor their own families.

And so, a tradition was born from an act of love and loss. Every year on that same night, I watch from above as families on Earth gather together. You light beautiful lanterns that float like little stars, and you share delicious, round mooncakes. These cakes are not just tasty treats; their roundness is a symbol of the full moon and, more importantly, of family completeness and unity. They represent the wish for families to be whole and together. Though I am far away, this festival connects us. So, when you look up at the bright moon during the festival, I hope you will think of my story. Remember that love is a powerful bond that can cross any distance, even the vast, quiet space between the Earth and the Moon.