• Mid Autumn Festival

• The date of the Mid-Autumn Festival is determined by the Lunar Calendar. It is set for the Full Moon in late Autumn, which is when the moon appears bigger and brighter, hence the other name for this event - the Moon Festival. The relevant dates for the next two years are:

  • 2012 - 30 September
  
  
  • 2013 - 19 September

  The Moon Festival was made a public holiday in the revisions of 2008.

  The festival is said to commemorate the sad story of Houyi the archer and his wife Chang'e. Houyi successfully shot down excess suns which were scorching the earth and therefore received a reward of two immortality pills from the Jade Emperor (the ruler in Heaven). To save her pill from being stolen Chang'e swallowed hers before the due date and floated away. She stopped on the moon, the nearest body that she could find to her earth-bound husband.

  (Chang'e is also commemorated by the Chinese space program; one series of rockets being named after her.)

  There are various traditions associated with the festival. Family and friends will gather to admire the Moon and also use the opportunity to celebrate the end of the harvest. Special Moon Cakes are given as gifts and consumed in huge numbers. These have a variety of sweet fillings; lotus seed paste with the yolk of an egg being the most traditional but with various other fruit, nut and bean pastes also being popular - especially with children. Pomelos are also eaten at this time, with the rind being put on the head afterwards. It's anyone's guess as to why that started.

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• Current Comments

  4 comments so far (post your own)

  Hi Annette
  
  You are right. Many countries in East Asia have festivals based on the Lunar Calendar. The mid-Autumn moon is said to be the largest and brightest and therefore special but, yes, the timing also conveniently fits in with the end of the harvest and is a good time for a family celebration.

  Posted by China Journeys on Sun 11 Mar, 2012

  This festival appears very similar to festivals I have attended in other east asian countries.Perhaps it is more associated with harvesting time.

  Posted by AnnetteR on Sun 11 Mar, 2012

  Hi Mohammad
  
  This is celebrated all over China so no need to change your plans. You could check with you hotel/hostel to find out if anything special is happening locally.

  Posted by China Journeys on Sat 18 Feb, 2012

  I am going to be in China for this festival. Is there somewhere special I should go?

  Posted by Mohammad on Sat 18 Feb, 2012

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