In ancient China, moon worship was tied closely to fertility and the harvest. So the full moon that happened closest to the fall equinox became the holiday now called Mid-Autumn Festival, also called Moon Festival by some. Originally a celebration of the harvest and a plea to the gods for rains to ensure a good harvest next year, the festival has become a more secular bit of autumn fun, with children and adults alike eating sweet mooncakes, lighting lanterns, and giving thanks for all they have. Really, they had us at ‘mooncake.’
Mooncake time
Today in History
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Wicker fields in Cañamares, Spain
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National Lighthouse Day
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A medieval Moorish gem
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Tombeau du Géant in Bouillon, Belgium
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Flying high on National Bird Day
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In praise of bogs, swamps, and marshes
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Yungang Grottoes, Shanxi, China
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National Park Week: Everglades National Park
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Burrowing owls
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Mount Rainier National Park
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A visit to Limerick on Limerick Day
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Autumn in the Prosecco Hills
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Sleep tight, little hedgehog
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Rolling hills of the Palouse, Washington
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Great Backyard Bird Count
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Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day
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World Space Week begins
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Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
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Barn owl, England
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International Tiger Day