In ancient China, the emperor was regarded as a very wise and powerful person, and in most dynasties was considered to be the owner of the Mandate of Heaven. This meant that the decisions that the emperor made were considered to come from the gods above, and to defy the emperor's commands would mean going against the will of the gods. Observing the emperor's worship, the upper class began to honor the moon goddess as well, hoping to bring good fortune to their families. As power shifted from one dynasty to another, the tradition of worshipping the moon goddess became more widespread. Eventually, even the common people adopted the practice of praying to the moon goddess. Today, the celebration is less serious and is celebrated with colored lanterns, bean-filled mooncakes and parades. Over time, it has also become a day of spending time with family. If you think about it, the Mid-Autumn Festival is similar to our celebration of Thanksgiving, where we celebrate an abundance of food by having a feast with our friends and family.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is very much connected to the environment, as it is centered on celebrating the current year's harvest and hoping for a good harvest the following year. Without the environment, this tradition would not exist.
