Three stories Mom told her child during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Children eagerly enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival, carrying lanterns under the shimmering moonlight, watching the lively lion dance, and tasting delicious mooncakes. On the night of the full moon in August, mothers can tell their children the story of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the mooncakes, and the revolving lanterns, so that the children will further appreciate the beautiful traditions and culture.

The Legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival

Legend has it that Emperor Tang Minghuang (713-741 AD) was strolling in the Imperial Garden on the night of the full moon in the eighth lunar month. On that Mid-Autumn night, the moon was very round and bright, and the air was cool. While the emperor was enjoying the beautiful scenery, he met the Taoist monk Luo Gongyuan. The monk, using his magical powers, took the emperor to the moon. There, the scenery was even more beautiful.

The king joyfully enjoyed the enchanting scene, captivated by the magical sounds and lights, and the graceful fairies in their colorful robes dancing and singing. In that wonderful moment, the king forgot that dawn was approaching. The Taoist priest had to remind the king to leave, but he remained bewildered and filled with longing.

Upon returning to the palace, the king was still captivated by the celestial scene and commissioned the creation of the "Nge Thuong Vu Y" dance. Every year on the night of the full moon in the eighth lunar month, the king would order the people to organize lantern processions and feasts to celebrate. He and Yang Guifei would drink wine under the moonlight while watching the palace maidens dance and sing, commemorating his miraculous visit to the moon palace. Since then, the tradition of organizing lantern processions and feasts on the full moon of the eighth lunar month has become a folk custom.

Emperor Minh Hoang ordered the construction of the Vong Nguyet Dai (Moon-Viewing Platform). On the night of the full moon in the middle of the month, the emperor would ascend the Vong Nguyet Dai to enjoy the moon-gazing. The emperor then established the Mid-Autumn Festival when the full moon of the eighth lunar month arrived. From then on, the Mid-Autumn Festival became an annual custom, when the moon was full and shining brightly, accompanied by the sounds of the "Nge Thuong" dance and music echoing through the palace. Today, along with the joy of moon-gazing and feasting, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a festival for children.

The Legend of the Mooncake

One Mid-Autumn Festival night, with a clear moon and gentle breeze, Emperor Tang Minghuang (Tang Xuanzong) and Yang Guifei ate walnut cakes and gazed at the moon. The emperor found the name walnut cake not romantic enough, so he renamed it Moon Cake.

From then on, mooncakes were called "Nguyet cakes." Later, people continued to refer to mooncakes as the type of cake enjoyed on the night of the full moon in the eighth lunar month. People usually enjoy them with family members to feel the warmth of family bonds.

Mothers can incorporate their own feelings about mooncakes into their stories when telling them to their children. A good story will gently but profoundly enter a child's mind, leaving a lasting impression.

The Legend of the Lantern Procession

Long ago, as the Mid-Autumn Festival approached, by order of the King, the people eagerly competed to create strange and wonderful lanterns, but none of them pleased the King. At that time, there was a poor farmer named Luc Duc, an orphan living with his mother, who was very filial. One day, in a dream, Luc Duc saw a god with a long white beard appear and say:

- I am the Supreme Venerable Lord, and seeing that you are poor but filial to your mother, I will show you how to make a lamp to offer to the king.

The next day, following the deity's instructions, Luc Duc and his mother took white bamboo stalks and colored paper to make a lantern. Time passed quickly, and by the time the lantern was finished, the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month had arrived. He happily took the lantern to the capital to present it to the king. The king examined it, found it unusual, colorful, and even able to move, and was very pleased.

When the king asked about the meaning of the lamp, Luc Duc, following the divine advice, replied: “Your Majesty, the bamboo stem in the center of the lamp represents the axis of wisdom, and the six-sided windmill symbolizes the six human emotions: love, hate, anger, sadness, joy, and resentment. The constantly rotating windmill symbolizes that human change has a reason, which is the way of being human. The windmill's constant rotation is also due to the light of the lamp, just as a good person is also due to morality. The six sides of the lamp, made of bright paper, represent human emotions.”

The king ordered the lanterns to be brought out for the people to see. When lit, the lanterns spun like windmills. Six vibrant colors appeared, depicting the king, officials, people, and horses in a procession. All the figures on the lanterns were made of paper. The king generously rewarded Luc Duc and his mother and bestowed upon them the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. From then on, every Mid-Autumn Festival, remembering the story of the filial son Luc Duc, the people vied with each other to imitate him, making brightly colored lanterns called "lanterns of marching soldiers."

Through the life lessons embedded in the meaningful story of the lantern procession, mothers can skillfully teach their children the admirable virtue of filial piety.