{
  "id": 15393258,
  "title": "Why stealing pumpkins for newlyweds is a blessing in ancient Chinese tradition",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/why-stealing-pumpkins-for-newlyweds-is-a-blessing-in-ancient-chinese",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T10:01:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3371301/why-stealing-pumpkins-newlyweds-blessing-ancient-chinese-tradition"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "In ancient China, welcoming autumn could involve stealing pumpkins, sitting on giant hanging scales and eating extra meat – rituals reflecting how people connected seasonal change with fertility, health and good fortune. Historical records show that during the Qing dynasty (1644–1912), groups of young people would gather on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival to sneak into fields and take…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}