What is the Mid-Autumn festival?

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is one of China’s most important traditional celebrations. Held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, it is associated with the full moon, family reunions, harvest traditions and wishes for health and happiness. In 2026, the festival falls on September 25.

What Is the Mid-Autumn Festival? Known as Zhongqiu Jie in Chinese, the Mid-Autumn Festival is considered the second most important festival in China after Chinese New Year. It is traditionally a time for families to come together for dinner, admire the full moon, eat mooncakes and take part in other customs associated with the celebration. The festival is also observed in countries including Singapore and Malaysia, as well as within Asian communities in the United States.

A Festival With More Than 3,000 Years of History: The festival has a history of more than 3,000 years and is linked to ancient royal ceremonies involving moon worship and agricultural activities. People traditionally worshipped the Moon to give thanks for the harvest and hoped its light would return to support the following year's crops. Over time, the festival acquired a stronger emphasis on family reunion, health and happiness.

Why Is the Full Moon So Important? The full moon is at the heart of the festival because its round shape represents completeness and family reunion. Families traditionally gather for dinner and sit together to admire the Moon. Those who cannot return to their hometowns may celebrate with friends instead. Moon gazing is also an occasion for sharing mooncakes and recalling poems and stories associated with the Moon.

Mooncakes Are a Festival Essential: Mooncakes are the most recognisable food associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival. These traditional pastries are usually round, reflecting the shape of the full Moon, and their sweetness is associated with completeness and happiness. Families eat them together, while mooncakes are also commonly given to relatives and friends as a gesture of affection and good wishes. Other seasonal foods include crabs, pumpkins, pomelos and grapes.

Lanterns, Moon Worship And Celebrations: Lanterns are another important part of Mid-Autumn celebrations. People make and carry lanterns, hang them in homes and trees, visit lantern displays and, in some places, release sky lanterns. Lanterns have been associated with the festival since the Tang Dynasty and are traditionally linked with luck, light and family togetherness. Some lanterns also feature riddles for families and friends to solve.

The Legend of Chang'e and the Jade Rabbit: One of the festival's best-known stories is the legend of Chang'e, the Moon goddess, and her husband Hou Yi. According to the tale, Hou Yi received an elixir of immortality after shooting down nine of the ten suns that were scorching the Earth. Chang'e later swallowed the elixir when an intruder tried to take it and flew to the Moon, where she remained to be close to her husband. Legend also says that a jade-white rabbit lives with her on the Moon, becoming a lasting symbol associated with the lunar festival.