It's mooncake time! Let's give thanks for our family and gaze up at the full moon.

What and when is Mid-Autumn Festival?

The Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie - 中秋节) is celebrated throughout China and in many other countries worldwide. In China, the day is marked by a National holiday and is the second most important festival in the Chinese calendar, with Chinese New Year the most important.

Also known as the Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival or Harvest Festival, the Mid-Autumn festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar month, meaning the holiday can fall any time between mid-September to early October when the moon is full. This year's celebrations occur on Saturday, 10th September 2022.

First celebrated over 3000 years ago, the Moon Festival originated in the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256BC) with the worship of the moon phases. During the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1279AD), the 'Mid-Autumn Festival' was established with the celebration of the harvest.

The legends of Mid-Autumn festival

Six legends tell the story behind the Moon Festival customs; however, the most famous tale is the love story of Change-E and Hou Yi and how Chang-e became the Moon Goddess of Immortality.

Watch this short video to learn about the legend of Chang-e and how this centuries old celebration came to be.

Other popular legends include: Rabbit in the Moon story, Wu Gang Chops the Tree, Li Longji Roaming on the Moon Palace and more.

How is Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in China?

Although there are many ways to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival, the most common customs are;

Family Reunion

Many people travel to see their parents and families during Mid-Autumn Festival, and it is customary for the whole family to enjoy a meal together.

Gifting mooncakes to family and friends

It is customary to give mooncakes to family and friends during the Moon Festival, but mooncakes are not just food to eat.

Mooncakes are very symbolic in that they are round like a full moon and represent family reunion, togetherness and completeness. The full moon symbolises prosperity and reunion.

Moon Gazing

Staring up at the full moon and marvelling at its beauty is another popular activity during the festival. If a family member hasn't made it home for the festival, they are comforted knowing they are looking upon the same full moon as their family.

Making, hanging and lighting lanterns

Lanterns symbolise joy and good fortune and are used to celebrate many Chinese festivals.

In addition to providing light, the circular-shaped lanterns represent the moon, wholeness and family reunion.

During the Moon Festival, it is common for children to make paper lanterns to hang around the home. In smaller towns, many townspeople meet in public areas carrying lanterns; in larger cities, there are usually lantern displays for people to visit.

What is a mooncake?

A mooncake (月饼 yuèbǐng) is a small round pastry traditionally given and eaten during Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon is at it's fullest and brightest.

Traditionally this baked pastry snack is printed with patterns and blessings on top and typically measures approximately 10cm across and 5cm deep.

The pastry filling can be sweet or savoury. Traditional fillings vary by region but popular fillings include lotus seed paste with salted egg yolk, red bean paste and roast pork and five spice.

I personally prefer another style of mooncake. The Snow Skin Mooncake is a lighter, chewy, sticky version of the traditional mooncake and has a springy yet firm outer layer with softer, custard like filling.

The outer layer is made with wheat or tapioca starch, powdered sugar, condensed milk and egg. These delicious treats can be filled with any type of flavoured custard and made in a rainbow of colours. My favourite fillings include; egg custard, matcha tea, chocolate and mango.

I was lucky enough to be invited to make Snow Skin Mooncakes with friends and instantly fell in love with these beautiful tasty treats.

Regardless of where you are in the world, Mid-Autumn Festival is a wonderful festival of family reunion and togetherness.

Even if you are unable to be with your family for the Moon Festival, know that the full moon will be shining bright in the night sky for everyone to see, connecting you with loved ones near and far.

Learn about other Chinese festivals here.