How to Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival While Social Distancing

As we head into autumn, and social distancing requirements are ever-changing, the reality of celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival away from family is to be expected this year. However, all is not lost! There are plenty of ways you can continue to feel connected to your loved ones throughout the festival, and Oriental Mart are on hand to offer some useful advice!

A Bit About the Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival originates from China at around 1600-1046 BCE, but it is celebrated across southeast Asia including Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines. The date of the festival tends to change each year. Scheduled in the lunar calendar for the 15th day of the 8th month, the 2020 date is on the 1st October this year. The festival is also known as the Harvest Moon Festival, and celebrations occur in the thought of three primary elements: • A gathering of both the reunion of family and friends and the harvesting and gathering of crops. Families try to have dinner together on the evening of the festival. • A thanksgiving for the harvest and the unification of family and friends during this time. • A time for prayer for either marriage, a child or a long and healthy life.

Make the Most of the Food

A large part of the Mid-Autumn Festival is eating delicious food. As well as a family meal, it is a widespread custom to make Mooncakes. To find out more about them, take a look at our guide. Are you in search of some Mooncakes ready for the festival? Don’t worry, our Chinese supermarket online supplies everything you need and more! Ensure you make a nice meal for yourself and discover how you can still experience it as a family further below!

Send Food Gifts

Another essential aspect of the Mid-Autumn Festival is gift-giving, and this also includes food, especially Mooncakes and fruit! So even if you aren’t able to eat as one family, you can still provide edible treats for one another while you are apart. If you are fortunate to live close to one another, you can leave sweet treats at each other’s doors. If you are far away, you can send your gifts in the post!

Use Skype

Skype, Zoom, Facebook Messenger, Face Time WhatsApp, whatever is available to you and the family, get on board and ring one another! Similar to a Skype date, each person can prepare their own meal ready to eat together over video. You could also use this opportunity to share and read some stories about Mid-Autumn Festival, which will especially engage some the youngest family members!

Organise a Mooncake Competition

Have you ever tried to make your own Mooncakes? Mooncakes are often shop or store-bought nowadays as their intricate designs are hard to master. However, this makes it all the more fun for those who want to get competitive! Perhaps an idea easier for those who live close together and can simply drop off their creations close by; each household creates their own Mooncakes for others to try and rate. Come together on Skype and share the results, or even one step further, send each competitor’s creation to the head of the family to judge! Try to keep nominations secret for fairness!

Gaze at the Moon

The moon plays an incredibly important role in Mid-Autumn Festival and symbolises family reunion according to Chinese tradition. By gazing at the moon, it is believed to remind people of their homelands and soothe a homesick soul. If you are away from your loved ones, wrap up nice and warm and think of your favourite spot for spectacular views. Take a walk and gaze at the moon, perhaps take a picture and send it to your family to let them know you are thinking of them!

Create Lanterns

Like most Chinese festivals, colourful lanterns are popular decor. If at home with children, spend the evening before the festival creating some paper lanterns to use as decoration on the day. You may not be able to put a light inside, but they can still be used to brighten up a home.

Put On Some Background Noise

Background noise can help bring a place to life and create a festival atmosphere. YouTube has a few short videos of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong as well as other countries, and you can put these on in the background to create a festival atmosphere while at home! Hopefully, we have provided you with some unique ideas to celebrate the 2020 Mid-Autumn Festival. What do you plan to do to stay connected with loved ones this year? We would love to know what you get up to, why not share your ideas with us on our social media channels?