Have you heard of the moon festival? If you’re not Chinese, you may not know what the moon festival is. I remember when I lived in Sydney, I received a lot of moon cakes at that time but never really knew the significance of the day.
The moon festival is actually the second biggest festival of the year in China, after the Spring festival. Each year, the moon festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month according to the Chinese Lunar calendar. This year, it falls on the 26th to 27th of September. It is also called the mid-autumn festival, as it falls in the middle of autumn or more commonly called the moon festival. At that time of year the moon is at its roundest and fullest.
There is a Chinese saying about the Moon Festival that when the moon is at its fullest, people come together.
History and customs
Celebration of the moon festival dates back 3000 years when the ancient Chinese observed the movement of the moon had a close relationship with changes of the seasons, and agricultural production. In order to show thanks to the moon, and celebrate the harvest, they offered a sacrifice to the moon on autumn days.
These days, the customs people follow include eating moon cakes, having dinner with family, going to the park to see the decorations, making lanterns, and floating them down the river — or flying them in the air, burning incense, drinking osmanthus tea, and watching fireworks.
Moon cakes
The traditional of eating food during the moon festival is, quite fittingly, moon cakes — which are a Chinese pastry consisting of different kinds of fillings. The traditional flavors are red bean (my favorite), and lotus seed. They have more modern flavors like five kernel, roast pork, fruit, vegetable, chocolate, green tea, ice cream, cream cheese, and seafood.
They have a round shape, and roundness symbolizes completeness — and togetherness in Chinese culture. Eating moon cakes at this time symbolizes the unity of the family. They are available a month before the festival, and are given as gifts to family — and friends.
Greetings and sayings
If you want to wish your Chinese friends a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, start memorizing this phrase:
Zhōngqiū kuàilè, which is pronounced as jong-chyoh-jyeah-kweye-ler!
Or you can say:
- Wish you and your family a happy Mid-Autumn Festival — zhù nǐ hé nǐ de jiārén zhōngqiū kuàilè.
- Wishing us a long life to share the graceful moonlight, though thousands of miles apart — dàn yuàn rén chángjiǔ, qiānlǐ gòng chánjuān
- A bright moon, and stars twinkle, and shine. Wishing you a merry Mid-Autumn Festival, bliss, and happiness — hàoyuè shǎnshuò, xīngguāng shǎnyào, zhōngqiū jiājié, měimǎn kuàilè!
Get into the spirit of the festival, and find yourself some moon cake.
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