中秋节快乐！Today China celebrates its second most important festival after Chinese New Year: the Mid-Autumn Festival (literally, 中 [zhōng] means “middle” and 秋 [qiū] means “autumn”). It is also known as the Moon Festival.
Would you like to learn more about it? Then keep reading ;)
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated?
The Mid-Autumn Festival takes place every year on the 15th day of the 8th month, when there is a full moon (usually between late September and early October) as, like all traditional Chinese festivals, its observance depends on the Chinese lunar calendar. This means that on the Gregorian calendar, the festival falls on a different date every year.
What exactly does the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrate?
Its origins date back more than 3,000 years, to the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC) when people worshiped the moon to give thanks for the harvest. This tradition has been carried on through every dynasty since, evolving into the celebration as we know it today: a day of family togetherness. You’re probably wondering why, right? Well, in Chinese, roundness symbolizes unity, harmony, and completeness. In fact, the word for family reunion (团圆 [tuányuán]) includes the character for round (团). Given this association, what better day to gather with family than during the full moon, with its perfect circular shape?
How is the Mid-Autumn festival celebrated?
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, families gather for dinner, admire the full moon, and feast on delicious mooncakes (月饼 [yuèbǐng]). This is the traditional treat eaten during the festival. They are small pastries filled with various flavors, both sweet and savory, and you guessed it, they are also round in shape! The most popular ones are those filled with egg yolk (again, because of their perfect circular shape). At night, especially in the South, children like to make paper lanterns, and sometimes they even use grapefruits, pumpkins, and oranges to make them (oh yes, did I mention all of these are round?).
Mid-Autumn festival vocabulary
- 中秋节 [zhōngqiū jié]: Mid-Autumn Festival
- 月饼 [yuèbǐng]: mooncake
- 团圆 [tuányuán]: family reunion
- 月亮 [yuèliàng]: moon
Did you know that the round shape held so much significance in Chinese culture? Have you ever been lucky enough to celebrate a Mid-Autumn Festival in China?
Enjoy tasting mooncakes with us in this video!
