The full moon closest to the autumnal equinox is essential in various cultures worldwide. This lunar event is widely considered the harvest moon and traditionally illuminates the night for farmers working in the fields. In some Asian countries, the full moon is celebrated on the Mid-Autumn Festival, considered by many to be the brightest moon of the year. This festival includes a variety of customs, including family reunions, eating ceremonial foods, decorating, and displaying colorful lanterns.
Mid-Autumn Festival tradition
The Mid-Autumn Festival, a joyous tradition that has been celebrated for over 3,000 years, was first observed during China’s Zhou Dynasty. It gained widespread recognition during the Tang Dynasty, some 1,500 years later, as a tribute to the moon. Today, as in ancient times, people commemorate it by burning incense, laying ceremonial altars with offerings, lighting lanterns, and spending time with loved ones, often on moonlit rooftops, creating a warm and festive atmosphere.
While the exact customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival vary from country to country, they all share a common origin in expressing gratitude for a bountiful harvest. Decorated lanterns with wishes written on them are a common sight, usually made by children who proudly hang them from trees or houses, float them in rivers, or release them into the air—with a small candle placed inside. The Kongming lantern, resembling a mini hot air balloon, is a popular choice across cultures.
Usually, people of Chinese descent get together after sunset to eat mooncakes. These round, filling-filled candies are elaborately decorated, often with motifs depicting holiday legends. People give mooncakes as gifts and enjoy them at family gatherings. It is said to be a tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Ming Dynasty, where the cookies symbolize the full moon, representing a happy reunion with loved ones. They may be filled with traditional ingredients such as lotus seed paste, egg yolk, or bean paste or with more modern flavors such as chocolate, truffles, foie gras, or ice cream.
Depending on where you are, pumpkins, crabs, and other seasonal foods are also eaten now. At the same time, tea, fruits from baskets, and osmanthus wine are also shared. In some places, there is even a public holiday.
- In South Korea, the celebration lasts three days, and many people go to reunions with relatives—not mooncakes but with a filling called Matsu.
- In Taiwan, the Mid-autumn Festival is a national holiday, and festivities include eating mooncakes and pomelo, a large citrus fruit related to grapefruit.
- In Japan, people worship the moon, and families decorate their homes with beautiful flowers.
- In Vietnam, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called “Children’s Day,” and children carry lanterns, watch lion dances, and eat moon cakes.
- In Singapore’s Chinatown and Gardens by the Bay, you can see lantern displays and traditional and modern mooncakes.
The Legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival
There is an ancient Chinese legend about the Mid-Autumn Festival. The gods rewarded the legendary hero Houyi by shooting down nine of the ten SUNS of the hot Earth. As a token of gratitude, she gives him a special elixir that will allow him to ascend to heaven and become a god.
Unfortunately, in a bid to protect the elixir from falling into the wrong hands, Chang ‘e, the beautiful wife of Houyi, drank the elixir herself and flew to the moon with the Jade Rabbit. Every year, on the night of the full moon, the heartbroken Houyi would set his wife’s favorite food on the table, a poignant ritual that symbolizes his enduring love and longing for her return.
