How to Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, otherwise known as the Harvest Moon Festival, is a Chinese celebration of the harvest and autumn full moon. While it originated in China, the festival is celebrated in many other southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, Taiwan and the Phillippines. Each year, the festival is held on the 15day of the 8month of the lunar calendar, meaning that it will usually fall around mid-late September or early October. This year, the festival falls on the 13September.

What Are the Origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival?

The festival has been celebrated since the Shang dynasty, between 1600-1046 BCE. There are a number of theories as to why the festival began, but most origin stories involve thanking deities for the harvest. To begin with, rather than a full festival, the harvest time was simply a time to give thanks to the deities they deemed responsible for bringing rain to the crops and promoting their growth. By the Tang dynasty of 618-907 CE, these thanksgivings were developed into more of a formal occasion, with Emperor Xuanzong of Tang holding celebrations in his palace.

There are a number of legends surrounding the reason the festival is celebrated, but one of the most popular versions of the story involves Chang’e, the Chinese Goddess of the Moon. According to legend, one day ten suns suddenly appeared in the sky, and Houyi, who was a skilled archer, was tasked with shooting all but one down. When he succeeded, he was awarded with an elixir of immortality. He did not drink it, however, as he did not wish to be immortal without his wife Chang’e. One day, on the 15day of the 8month on the lunar calendar, someone broke into their house and tried to force Chang’e to give the elixir to him. Instead, she refused and drank it herself, and flew up to the sky to live on the moon. Saddened by his wife’s fate, Houyi began to leave cakes and fruit in his garden as a sacrifice. After a while, others in the community joined in, leaving food as a sacrifice to her.

Why is the Festival Celebrated?

There are three main areas that form the basis for the celebrations. Firstly, the festival is a gathering, allowing friends and family to reunite. The concept of gathering also applies to the act of gathering and harvesting the crops for the festival. The moon plays a big role in the celebrations, and it is at its biggest during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is a symbol of family reunion in China.

Next, the festival is for thanksgiving, with those celebrating the festival offering their thanks for the harvest, and for unions that have come since the last festival. Lastly, the festival is for praying, with people primarily asking to find a spouse, have a child, and live a long and healthy life.

How is the Festival Celebrated?

There are a number of ways in which the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in China. In the past, food offerings were left as a way to honour the moon. Nowadays, the festival is more of an occasion for families and friends to meet and enjoy food and festivities together.

One of the main aspects of the festival are mooncakes. Their round shape is representative of the moon, as well as the reunion of loved ones, therefore, they are commonly shared between families during the festival. In some areas of China, part of the festivities include making the mooncakes together on the night of the festival, however, more modern customs see family members give each other pre-made mooncakes, as they are a little tricky to make. The traditional mooncake is filled with lotus seed paste, however, others contain egg yolk, red or black bean paste or dates and nuts. In recent years, modern spins on the traditional treat have been created, including an ice cream mooncake and a green tea mooncake!

Like with many Chinese festivals, lanterns also play a big part in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Brightly coloured lanterns are carried or used as decorations during the celebrations. As with other Chinese celebrations, lion and dragon dances may also be performed. Displays of food are left out as an offering to Chang’e and other deities, especially fruit, such as apples, peaches, pomegranates and melons.

Another main part of the festival relates to the matchmaking process of finding a romantic partner. Dances are held across some parts of China, helping young men and women meet. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also one of the most popular times to hold a wedding in China for this reason.

If you would like to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, check out the range of Mooncakes in the UK available at Oriental Mart!