Across East Asia, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated with different local traditions. In Korea, the festival is called Chuseok. At this time of year, Koreans wear traditional clothing called hanbok and visit home to honor their parents. They also enjoy eating sweet rice cakes that are in the shape of the half moon. In Japan, the holiday is known as Tsukimi, which means “moon-watching.” Japanese people enjoy making sticky rice treats and drinking sake under the full moon.
In Southeast Asia, people enjoy sharing mooncakes and hanging red lanterns for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which are similar to the traditions of Chinese culture. People in Vietnam celebrate the event with family activities, including parades, dances, and special activities for children. In Thailand, people gather with their families to exchange mooncakes that are shaped like peaches. There, the holiday is also associated with the birth of Guanyin, the Buddhist goddess of compassion.
In Cambodia, the holiday is known as the Water and Moon Festival. People celebrate with boat races and also visit temples at midnight to make offeringsto the Moon. Throughout Asia, the Mid-Autumn Festival is an important time to share with family, express thanks, and pray for good fortune in the months ahead.
❶ From (A) to (E) below, choose the statements that are true about the Mid-Autumn Festival.
(A) It has close ties with the Moon.
(B) It is celebrated in a certain area in Asia.
(C) It is related to some characters from folk stories.
(D) It is a chance for people to spend time with their families.
(E) It dates back a few centuries.
❷ A visitor is describing his travel experience. Based on the Day 2 article, which country did he most likely visit?
“On the day of the festival, I received some mooncakes in the shape of peaches. Some locals also took me to a temple to pay respect to Guanyin. It was a special experience.”
