The poems about flowers during the Mid-Autumn Festival are as follows:
1. Crows roost on the white trees in the atrium, and the cold dew wets the sweet-scented osmanthus silently. Tonight, when the moon is bright and everyone looks around, I don’t know who is missing my autumn thoughts. It comes from "Looking at the Moon on the Fifteenth Night and sending it to Du Langzhong" by Wang Jian of the Tang Dynasty.
Translation: There are magpies and crows perched on the snow-white trees in the courtyard, and the autumn dew silently wets the sweet-scented osmanthus in the courtyard. Tonight, people are all looking up at the bright moon in the sky, wondering who is feeling this autumn longing.
2. Su'e may not be without regrets, the jade toad is cold and the sweet-scented osmanthus is lonely. It comes from "Mid-Autumn Moon" written by Yan Shu in the Song Dynasty.
Translation: Chang'e in the Moon Palace may not feel regretful now. After all, the only ones accompanying her are the cold Moon Palace and the lonely laurel tree.
3. Remove the Gui Po Suo, and you will see more humanity and clear light. It comes from "Taichang Yin·Jiankang Mid-Autumn Night for Lu Shuqian" written by Xin Qiji in the Song Dynasty.
Translation: Cut down the laurel trees with swaying shadows on the moon, because people say that this will make the moon shed more light on the world.
4. The body is dim and light yellow, soft in nature, and only the fragrance remains. Why does it need light green and deep red? It is naturally the best among flowers. The plum blossoms are jealous, the chrysanthemums should be ashamed, and the painted lantern is crowned with Mid-Autumn Festival. It comes from "Partridge Sky Osmanthus" by Li Qingzhao of the Song Dynasty.
Translation: This flower is light yellow and quiet, with a gentle and shy appearance. The temperament is distant and distant from the world, but its strong fragrance remains for a long time. There is no need to show off with light green or bright red colors, it is already the best among flowers. The plum blossoms must be jealous of it, and it is enough to make the late-blooming chrysanthemum feel shy. In the garden with ornate guardrails, it stands out among the seasonal flowers and trees of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
5. A piece of jade falls under the moon, and a new piece of jade is found in front of the palace. It comes from "Guizi on the Night of August 15th in Tianzhu Temple" written by Pi Rixiu in the Tang Dynasty.
Translation: The scattered osmanthus petals are like jade beads falling down from under the moon. When you pick up the osmanthus in front of the temple, the petals are even more moist with dew.
Customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival:
1. Appreciating the moon
The custom of appreciating the moon comes from worshiping the moon. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, every family reunites. Eating moon cakes, admiring the moonlight, talking, laughing and playing in the courtyard. Folk activities of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but have not yet become a custom.
In the Tang Dynasty, admiring and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular, and many poets included verses praising the moon in their famous works. By the Song Dynasty, a Mid-Autumn folk festival centered on moon-viewing activities was formed, which was officially designated as the Mid-Autumn Festival.
On this day, "noble families decorate their terraces and pavilions, and people compete in restaurants to enjoy the moonlight." In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the activities of worshiping and admiring the moon were more extensive among the court and the people. There are still many historic sites such as "Moon Worship Altar", "Moon Worship Pavilion" and "Moon Watching Tower" remaining in various parts of our country.
2. Eating moon cakes
Eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional folk custom in my country, just like eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival and eating glutinous rice balls during the Lantern Festival. It is said that the custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival already existed during the Tang Dynasty, but the fact that mooncakes were used as a food name and were associated with enjoying the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was a matter of the Song Dynasty.
The royal family of the Northern Song Dynasty liked to eat a kind of "palace cake" during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is commonly known as "small cake" among the people. Su Dongpo wrote a poem: "Small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crispy and sweet fillings in the middle."
The Southern Song Dynasty writer Zhou Mi mentioned the name "mooncake" for the first time in "Old Wulin Stories". At that time, people in Hangzhou had a habit of "giving each other moon cakes to symbolize reunion during the Mid-Autumn Festival." By the end of the Yuan Dynasty, mooncakes had become a Mid-Autumn Festival delicacy.
In modern times, there have been workshops specializing in making mooncakes. The production of mooncakes is more sophisticated, with sophisticated fillings and beautiful appearance. They are also divided into different flavors such as flat style, Soviet style, Cantonese style, and Taiwanese style. As a symbol of good luck and reunion, mooncakes embody people's good wishes, and the custom of eating and giving mooncakes continues to this day.