With popularity on par with Chinese New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture and is celebrated all over the world during the full moon between September and October.
Festival Origin
Over 3,000 years ago, during the Zhou Dynasty, the Chinese emperors worshiped the harvest moon in autumn and believed the practice would bring them a plentiful harvest the following year. The holiday gained popularity during the Tang dynasty where worshipping the moon became popular among the upper class, where drinking and dancing would take place in the courts of rich merchants and officials. The common citizens prayed to the moon for a good harvest. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the festival was established as the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
Modern Celebration
Today, the festival is generally a time for reunions among friends and family to enjoy the full moon, a symbol of harmony and unity. There are many regional or cultural customs, such as eating mooncakes, burning incense, performing lion and dragon dances, and carrying brightly lit lanterns.
Mooncakes
According to a popular legend, during the Yuan Dynasty, mooncakes were used to pass around messages of rebellion. Now, as the most famous food of the Mid-Autumn festival, boxes of mooncakes are exchanged as gifts and eaten with families. They are usually round, about the size of hockey pucks, and come in a wide range of flavors.
Common Greetings
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
In Chinese: 中秋快乐!
Wish you and your family a happy Mid-Autumn Festival
In Chinese: 祝你和你的家人中秋快乐
Wishing us a long life to share the graceful moonlight, though thousands of miles apart.
In Chinese: 但愿人长久，千里共婵娟
A bright moon and stars twinkle and shine. Wishing you a merry Mid-Autumn Festival, bliss, and happiness.
In Chinese: 皓月闪烁，星光闪耀，中秋佳节，美满快乐
Other Names
- Moon Festival
- Harvest Moon Festival
- Mooncake Festival
- Reunion Festival
