Today's Google Doodle changes to an image of mischievous white rabbits and mooncakes to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
On special days, Google Doodle often changes the homepage's profile picture with a message that reminds of the event.
Today (September 17), Google changed its Doodle to an image of mischievous white rabbits and mooncakes, to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam and Chuseok in Korea.
According to Google, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in many regions, including China, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, and South Korea. The festival has been celebrated since the 10th century BC on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
Since ancient times, people have celebrated festivals under the full moon and enjoyed fruits such as melons, pomegranates and sweet pastries.
"While celebrations today vary by region, there are some commonalities that bind people together. A staple of the festival is the mooncake, which is featured in the Doodle image," Google said.
Mooncakes (baked cakes in Vietnam) are often shaped like a full moon, and these snacks can be sweet or savory, with a variety of fillings such as lotus seed sauce, salted egg yolk, fruit, or custard, Google says.
Besides, the Mid-Autumn Festival cannot be without colorful lanterns. At night, houses are lit with lanterns and lanterns can even be floated on the water.
"Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everyone!" , Google wrote.
Some Mid-Autumn Festival traditions in different countries
Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Full Moon Festival, is one of the most important and popular traditional festivals in Asia. Held on the night of the Full Moon Festival in August (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month), this festival not only symbolizes family reunion but also honors the harvest, nature and traditional culture. Each country has its own way of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, creating a diverse and rich picture of East Asian culture.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival is mainly for children, called "Children's Festival". Before this day, the streets are filled with lanterns, toys and moon cakes.
On the full moon night, neighborhoods organize lantern parades, lion dances, and moon-watching feasts. Children wear lanterns and masks and join in folk games, while the sound of lion dance drums resounds everywhere. Moon cakes shaped like the moon and animals, candies and fruits of all kinds are displayed on the trays, along with traditional star lanterns.
Besides, many artistic activities such as Chau Van singing, Ca Tru singing and water puppetry also take place, creating a unique festival atmosphere.
China
In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) is an occasion to honor the moon and celebrate family reunions (Reunion Festival). Chinese people also prepare unique mooncakes, with fillings ranging from lotus seeds and salted egg yolks to mung beans and char siu.
On full moon nights, people gather outdoors to watch the moon and enjoy traditional dishes. Artistic activities such as puppet shows, calligraphy and zither performances often take place in parks and cultural centers. In particular, releasing flower lanterns on the river or sky lanterns is also a beautiful custom to convey wishes and hopes.
Japan
In Japan, this festival is called Tsukimi (月見), which means "Moon Viewing". The Japanese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in their own way, usually on August 15th according to the Japanese lunar calendar or in September of the solar calendar. Japanese families decorate their homes with pampas grass to symbolize a bountiful harvest and respectfully place dango (a type of rice cake dessert) and vegetables on the altar to pay homage to the moon. Many areas also hold folk dance performances, traditional concerts and lantern festivals, creating a peaceful and poetic atmosphere.
Korea
In Korea, the Mid-Autumn Festival, called Chuseok (추석), is the biggest holiday of the year and lasts for three days. It is a time to pay respect to ancestors and pray for a bountiful harvest.
Koreans prepare traditional foods such as songpyeon (rice cakes filled with mung beans or chestnuts), offering rice, and autumn fruits. Families dress up in traditional Hanbok costumes, attend ancestral rites at the family shrine, and visit ancestral graves. Recreational activities such as dragon dancing, tug of war, and folk games are also held during these days.
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Asia not only honors nature and harvest but is also an occasion for each country and each family to reunite and bond in love.
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