The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the end of the autumn harvest. It is a festival that symbolizes family reunion. It’s a national occasion, where everyone takes time off work to be at home with their loved ones/family.
This year, the beginning of the Mid-Autumn Festival is September 29th, and it lasts up until October 6th. Every year on the first day of the festival, the moon is at its fullest. A full moon symbolizes prosperity and reunion for the whole family.
During this time, we eat a dessert called moon cake. Eating and sharing mooncakes among family members during the time of the festival signifies the completeness and unity of families. There are many different flavors of mooncakes, but the top three flavors are definitely red bean (my favorite!), salted egg yolk, and white lotus. During the festival, people also light lanterns as a symbolic beacon, since it’s believed that the lanterns light people’s path to good fortune.
All in all, the festival is a time where friends and family gather together for a meal and admire the moon. So take this time to appreciate and spend time with your family, whether that may just be sitting down together and having a talk or going out to eat!
