（图：《鹅潭月夜》 摄影：徐广文 ）

　　It is believed that the festival originated from the custom of moon worship during the Zhou Dynasty over 3,000 years ago. The term "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the book Rites of Zhou (《周礼》)：August was the middle month of the three months of autumn, and the fifteenth day of one month is the middle day of that month. Therefore, the fifteenth day of August is called "mid-autumn", or simply "mid-August".

　　据说中秋起源于3000多年前周朝的拜月习俗。“中秋”一词，最早见于《周礼》：所谓中秋，是因为八月居孟仲季三秋之中，而十五夕恰为月中，所以八月十五被称为中秋，或称“八月半”。

　　In ancient China, the emperors practiced moon worshipping rituals at mid-autumn every year. The custom was gradually adopted by the masses over time and became a festival during the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1279).

    我国古代，皇帝每年都会在中秋时拜月祈福。后来，这一习俗逐渐发展到民间，并在北宋时期正式定下阴历八月十五为中秋节。

　　Su Shi (1037-1101), a famous poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, once wrote: "Tasting mooncakes is much like tasting the moon, the smooth and sweet flavor tickling my taste buds." However, the tradition of eating mooncakes was not established until the Yuan Dynasty (A.D.1271-1368). In 2008, in order to promote its traditional culture more effectively, the Chinese government set up a three-day public holiday for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

　　“小饼如嚼月，中有酥和饴”，虽然在北宋时期就已有时令糕点，但直至元朝时，吃月饼的习俗才逐渐流行起来。2008年，我国将中秋节定为三天的公共假期，以更好地弘扬传统文化。

　　During the Song dynasty, moon gazing was an extremely popular activity. At Mid-Autumn Festival, people would climb to the top of pagodas to view the full moon, while rich people would arrange lavish feasts in their own pagodas or pavillons to appreciate the moon and celebrate the festival with their families. Shops and restaurants in the capital city would redecorate their facades and hang colorful cloth on their archways. Fresh fruits and fine food would be sold by merchants. The night market would be bustling with activity.

　　宋代赏月之风盛极，每逢这一日，京城的所有店家、酒楼都要重新装饰门面，牌楼上扎绸挂彩，出售新鲜佳果和精制食品，夜市热闹非凡，百姓们多登上楼台，一些富户人家在自己的楼台亭阁上赏月，并摆上食品或安排家宴，团圆子女，共同赏月叙谈。