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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Ponta Delgada
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World Meteorological Day
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World Teachers Day
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Does this chameleon look a little insecure?
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Camel thorn trees, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia
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Seonam Temple, South Korea
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Memorial Day
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The most wonderful day of the year. Period.
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Wild and Scenic Rivers Act
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World Otter Day
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A Bengal tiger in Ranthambore National Park, India
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The Twin Cities celebrate Pride
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International Beaver Day
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National Park Week: Wind Cave National Park
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Penguin Awareness Day
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Hay bales in North Yorkshire, England
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Tennis in the park
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What are we looking at?
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Autumnal equinox
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Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii
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A festival of colors
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A tribute to the ancestors
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A triumph of light
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Yellow-eyed penguins, Moeraki, New Zealand
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Pandas pucker up for International Kissing Day
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Storks ready for takeoff
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European fallow deer in England
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Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California
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