All You Need to Know about Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important traditional festivals observed in China. This festival, which is also known as the Moon Festival or the Harvest Moon Festival, occurs to worship the visible and bright full moon in the night sky. It is a precious time for family gatherings and includes many fascinating traditions, like worshiping the full moon and eating mooncakes. Today we will provide you with all the information you need to know about the Mid-Autumn Festival, from its origin to various time-honored traditions. Get an overall reading and the brilliant festival will capture your interest.

When Is the Mid-Autumn Festival in China?

September 17, 2024; October 6, 2025

Mid-Autumn Festival falls annually on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar and usually takes place in September or October.

Why Is the Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrated?

The Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history, dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). It is derived from ancient Chinese worship of celestial bodies, like the sun, moon, and stars. In ancient agricultural society, it was believed that the moon and the sun made a big difference in seasonal change and farming, and Chinese people show their awe and veneration to nature with the joy of plentiful harvest, so moon worship has been an extremely important ritual in Chinese culture. The Mid-Autumn Festival evolved from such a ritual act. According to the Chinese lunar calendar, autumn falls on lunar July, August, and September. The festival takes place in lunar August, in the middle of autumn, so the festival is folklorically named Mid-Autumn. The festival is also called the Moon Festival because major events and rituals in this period revolve around the full moon.

Night View of the Moon Festival

Legends Behind the Mid-Autumn Festival

Chinese people worshiping the moon at the Mid-Autumn Festival is seen as a plain way to express their wishes for longevity, blessing, and reunion. Such wishes are attributed to many ancient myths and legends about the Mid-Autumn Festival which have been widely disseminated throughout history. There are household legends about Wu Yan, an ugly woman who was loved by the king and become his empress due to her pious moon worship on the night of lunar August 15th, and Chang E who became a god by accidentally swallowing the elixir and flew to the moon, and met her husband, Hou Yi from the moon in the evening of August 15th every year. Whether Wu Yan's success or Chang E's eternity, these legends are an essential part of the Mid-Autumn Festival that prompts Chinese people to place hope in the worship of the moon.

How Is the Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrated?

Reuniting With Family

The full moon symbolizes togetherness. As the crescent finally turns into a full moon, homesick family members will finally be reunited like the pieces of the crescent. With this long-cherished wish from ancient times, the eagerness for a reunion has become a part of the Chinese people, so the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a significant time for all Chinese people to sit with family members and share a feast. Usually on this day, the Chinese, especially young strangers who struggle for their own careers or study outside the home, will come back home to have a substantial reunion dinner with their family. This is a precious time for young people to accompany family members and recount their own experiences outside.

Worshiping the Moon

The Chinese worship the moon and their gods piously with burning incense. Worshiping the moon is a special way for Chinese people to pray for a happy reunion and good luck. Moon worship is an integral part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is often held at the home of the eldest member of the family. In most areas, the Chinese worship the moon with offerings, including incense, red candles, mooncakes, fruits, tea, and the like, on the tables. Usually, there are scores of families making the pilgrimage together in a public place, while some families do that on their own balconies.

Appreciating the Moon

Moon-appreciating is another important tradition among the Chinese family during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The full moon means reunion and wealth, so the family sitting together to admire the full moon at the festival is also a kind of blessing for the long reunion. With a long tradition of the moon feeling, Chinese people hope to relieve the feeling of homesickness if they are in a strange land or gossip with their families while admiring the full moon. The Chinese, no matter whether in ancient times or at present, always look up unconsciously at the moon on festival nights.

Eating Mooncakes

Eating mooncakes can be one of the most significant traditions on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Popularly, mooncakes represent togetherness and harmony. On the night of the festival, Chinese families will enjoy mooncakes together after worshiping the moon. Today, mooncakes are widely used as a special gift during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Releasing and Playing With Lanterns

Lanterns play an important role in the Mid-Autumn Festival. For thousands of years, Chinese people would write wishes or lines on lanterns and release them into the sky, hoping gods would accept their aspirations. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the lantern vendors would fill parks and streets, and many shops were decorated with colorful lanterns. In the past, people would release the Kongming Lantern, a lantern that goes up by heating the air during the festival night. Now battery-powered lanterns are more and more widely accepted among children. Parents, couples, as well as university students would buy their children, lovers, or friends a beautiful lantern for luck. You can watch the lantern procession in which children and adults carry lanterns of various shapes and sizes through the streets, creating a colorful and festive atmosphere.

What to Eat and Drink During the Moon Festival?

Mooncakes

Mooncakes symbolize harmony and unity, so the Moon Festival is also called Mooncake Festival. They are thought to be the most important food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes are round pastries that are traditionally filled with lotus seed paste, red bean paste, or other sweet fillings. They are often given as gifts to friends and family members. You can get mooncakes in any dim sum shops and restaurants. There are different types and flavors of mooncakes to choose from. You can try the traditional types that are made with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk, or Wuren mooncakes filled with almond, olive, peach, black melon, and sesame seeds. You can also try popular modern versions like ice cream mooncakes. They are filled with chocolate cream or other fruit fillings. Too many mooncakes may be a bit greasy so it's a good idea to counter the grease by drinking some tea or wine.

Chinese Mooncakes

Osmanthus Wine and Pastries

The Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the blooming of sweet-scented osmanthus. The Osmanthus flower is known as Laurus nobilis in China. In Chinese mythology, the bay tree, considered the elixir of life, grows on the moon and could restore itself forever even after being cut down. Therefore, Laurus nobilis symbolizes longevity, auspiciousness, and promotion. China has a long tradition of making osmanthus wine and pastries. Osmanthus wine has a delicate fragrance and a tiny sweet taste. Osmanthus pastries such as osmanthus cake and candy are another traditional food at the festival. There are many types of osmanthus pastries with different fillings like sesame, jujube paste, and smashed bean to choose from. You can get such wine and pastries at many stores and shops during the festival.

Water Caltrops (ling kok)

Water caltrops, sometimes known as water chestnuts, are a traditional dish specially used in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The water caltrops are usually ripe a few weeks before the festival. Its shell has a goat horn-like appearance. In Chinese culture, the water chestnut is considered to resemble a bat, an auspicious symbol of fortune and luck because its Chinese character sounds similar to the word "福" (fú). According to folk customs, children who eat water caltrops will become bright and have good luck in the future. The water caltrops are usually cooked in freshwater as snacks or cooked into gruel.

Grapefruit (fruit basket)

Grapefruit is featured in the fruit basket, which is a popular offering in moon worship. Grapefruits are seasonal foods during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Chinese, the character for grapefruit is homophonous with the word "佑" (yòu) and grapefruit is with the moon in the shape, which means the moon and gods would bless worshippers. It's common to send grapefruit as a gift to relatives during the festival. This fruit is well suited to counter the grease in too many mooncakes and has many healthy effects.

Where to Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival usually falls in September or October when many cities in China have pleasantly cool weather to hold festival-related activities. There are numerous places in China where you may enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival, but here are a few popular choices:

Beijing: In Beijing, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated with traditional activities. You can visit parks such as Beihai Park, Jingshan Park, and Taoranting Park to enjoy the festive atmosphere. One of the most popular parks is Beihai Park, a place where emperors admired the moon. You can enjoy the beautiful moon reflected in the sparkling Taiye Pond or enjoy a lake trip while seeing the moon and eating mooncakes and tea. In addition, various lantern shows will be held on Tiananmen Square, Fragrant Hills, or Long Tan Lake. You can enjoy watching colorful lanterns and playing riddles during the festival night.

Shanghai: Shanghai is a bustling city with vibrant nightlife, and during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the city comes alive with lantern displays, fireworks, and performances. The famous Yuyuan Garden is a great place to experience the festival atmosphere. Shanghai boasts skyscrapers, including the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jin Mao Tower, which offer tourists a perfect view to appreciate the bright moon and a stunning city panorama. It's also a good idea to wander around local fairs. A great number of vendors are decorated with traditional lanterns and kites. There are many large exhibitions of classic handicrafts and art. You can see a wide range of delicious snacks, wines, pottery, porcelain, and decorations.

Guilin: Guilin is famous for the beauty of its mountains and rivers. The fascinating natural landscape is an excellent background for moon reflection. Elephant Trunk Hill is a classic place to admire the moon. The "elephant's trunk" is also known as "Water-Moon Cave", where you can see an extraordinary sight of three moons: one hangs elegantly in the sky, and the other two lie on the water. There is boating there, and you can get a better look at the magical scene. What's more, it's nice to take a floating bamboo raft to watch the moon along the Li River. The clear reflection of the moon in the river has a beautiful view to offer.

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The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important event tied together by Chinese commonly held beliefs. With a long tradition of moon worship, the festival was held in celebration of a good harvest in farming times. Today, it expresses the Chinese wishes for family and national reunions, and even for the universal community around the world. There is so much cultural significance to the Mid-Autumn Festival. If you travel to China during the Mid-Autumn Festival, be sure to participate in the festivities and enjoy the unique cultural experience. If you have any questions about your travel plans, please get in touch with us. It's considered appropriate to go on a trip with Odynovo. We focus on the personalized organization of customers' itineraries. If you travel with us, you'll have a memorable experience by enjoying wonderful tourist-oriented celebrations.