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Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or

Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese
culture. Similar holidays are celebrated by other cultures in East
and Southeast Asia.
It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture; its
popularity is on par with that of Chinese New Year. The history
of the Mid-Autumn Festival dates back over 3,000 years. The
festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese
lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to
mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. On
this day, the Chinese believe that the Moon is at its brightest and
fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of
Autumn.
Lanterns of all size and shapes, are carried and displayed –
symbolic beacons that light people's path to prosperity and good
fortune. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-
bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten
during this festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the
legend of Chang'e, the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology.
Origins and development

The Chinese have celebrated the harvest during the autumn full
moon since the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE)) first
appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the
Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE). As for the royal court,
it was dedicated to the goddess Taiyinxingjun This is still true
for Taoism and Chinese folk religion.
The celebration as a festival only started to gain popularity
during the early Tang dynasty (618–907 CE).One legend
explains that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang started to hold formal
celebrations in his palace after having explored the Moon-
Palace.
In the Northern Song Dynasty, the Mid Autumn Festival has

become a popular folk festival, and officially designated the
15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar as the Mid
Autumn Festival.
By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the mid autumn festival had
become one of the main folk festivals in China. The Empress
Dowager Cixi (late 19th century) enjoyed celebrating Mid-
Autumn Festival so much that she would spend the period
between the thirteenth and seventeenth day of the eighth month
staging elaborate rituals.
The festival was a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice

and wheat with food offerings made in honor of the moon.
Today, it is still an occasion for outdoor reunions among friends
and relatives to eat mooncakes and watch the Moon, a symbol of
harmony and unity. During a year of a solar eclipse, it is typical
for governmental offices, banks, and schools to close extra days
in order to enjoy the extended celestial celebration an eclipse
brings. The festival is celebrated with many cultural or regional
customs, among them:
Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e.

Performance of dragon and lion dances, which is mainly
practiced in southern China.
Making and sharing mooncakes is one of the hallmark traditions
of this festival. In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes
completeness and reunion. Thus, the sharing and eating of round
mooncakes among family members during the week of the
festival signifies the completeness and unity of families.In some
areas of China, there is a tradition of making mooncakes during
the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The senior person in that
household would cut the mooncakes into pieces and distribute
them to each family member, signifying family reunion. In
modern times, however, making mooncakes at home has given
way to the more popular custom of giving mooncakes to family
members, although the meaning of maintaining familial unity
remains.[citation needed]
Besides the Tet Holiday, the Mid-Autumn festival is one of the
most famous festivals and it is a traditional celebration for
Vietnamese children. The Mid-Autumn celebration is an
opportunity for members of the family to visit together and share
together everything in their year. Because the autumn is the time
of the beginning of the new school year, so the adults and
parents often give gifts to the children. Children use the
beautiful lanterns, wear funny masks, perform fantastic lion
dances, sing folklore songs in the house’s grounds or in the
streets when the moon is rising. It is really an exciting show. On
this day, the adults and the parents prepare many different foods
- Moon cakes, candies, biscuits, jellies, and fruit, such as
grapefruit, longan fruit, bananas, apples, mango, etc.

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Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or

Origins and development

In the Northern Song Dynasty, the Mid Autumn Festival has

The festival was a time to enjoy the successful reaping of rice

Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e.

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