中秋节 The Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn is a very important Chinese festival. It falls on the 15th day of August. A few days before the festival, everyone in the family will help to make the house clean and beautiful. Lanterns will be hung in front of the house.

中秋节是中国一个很重要的节日，在八月十五号。在节日来临的前几天，家庭中的每一个人都帮着打扫房子，把房子装扮得漂漂亮亮的，灯笼挂在屋前。

On the evening there will be a big family dinner. People who work far away from their homes will try to come back for the union. After dinner, people will light the lanterns which are usually red and round. Children will play with their own toy lanterns happily.

晚上有一顿美餐，离家在外工作的人也要回来团圆。晚饭后，人们点亮灯笼，一般是红色的圆灯笼。孩子们会高高兴兴地玩他们的玩具灯笼。

At night the moon is usually round and bright. People can enjoy the moon while eating moon-cakes which are the special food for this festival. They can look back on the past and look forward to the future together. It is said that there was a dragon in the sky. The dragon wanted to swallow up the moon. To protect the frighten the dragon away.

晚上月亮又圆又大，人们在赏月的同时吃着中秋节特别的食品——月饼。人们在一起回顾过去，展望未来。据说天上有一条龙，它要把月亮吞下去。为了保护月亮，孩子们要弄出很大的响动把龙吓跑。