In many parts of China, dances are held for young men and women so they can find partners. In Vietnam, cakes and fruits are made into elaborate displays of familiar or mythological animals such as dogs, cats, and unicorns.Īnother purpose of this holiday is to celebrate marriages or wish for the moon deity to fulfill a person’s romantic desires. People also make food offerings to deities placed on courtyard altars-foods that include pears, grapes, peaches, melons, or oranges. Of course, moon cakes aren’t the only foods made and consumed on this holiday. In some parts of China, there’s a tradition of making these moon cakes during the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Asian cultures, the round shape of these moon cakes symbolizes completeness. Sometimes they even wear elaborate masks made out of paper-mache.Īnother common part of this festival is the making and sharing of moon cakes. In Vietnam, children engage in the parade with lanterns of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Lanterns aren’t just an important symbol used in Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in China but are also used in Vietnamese celebrations. And lanterns represent just one of the symbols burrowed from other festivals. As China began to evolve from an agriculturally based country to a more modernized country, other traditions began to be added to this festival.
This is when people write riddles on lanterns and other people try to solve them.Īlthough early traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival didn’t involve the use of lanterns, it’s believed that they were added because lanterns symbolize fertility. Another common tradition is the practice of lantern riddles. People also light sky lanterns and set them aloft. Brightly lit lanterns are carried and placed on towers. One of the main practices observed during this festival is the use of lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is what this holiday and festival are called in English. Below are some of the other names that are used for this holiday in parts of Asia. This holiday goes by a variety of names all over the world and even has several different names inside of China alone. While at one point it may have been traditional to make offerings of wheat and rice to the moon, now people enjoy moon cakes, enjoy the moon, and enjoy their festival of harmony and unity. It became a time to enjoy the successful harvest of wheat and rice. According to legend, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang began to hold formal celebrations of this holiday in his palace.Īlthough early celebrations of this holiday were very much concerned with moon worship, the modern practice of this holiday and the associated festival has more to do with the autumnal harvest.
At this time, this holiday wasn’t widespread all across Asia, and it wouldn’t be until during the 7th century that the celebration began to be observed as a festival celebrated throughout Asia. For various indigenous groups living in ancient China, the harvest time commemorated the dragon that brought rain for their crops. It was initially celebrated as a harvest festival during the Shang Dynasty. This holiday has been celebrated for at least 3,600 years. This is a holiday on which friends and family gather together with one another to give thanks for the harvest, to give thanks for harmonious unions, and to pray for help for family members. This means that this holiday is celebrated sometime between mid-September to early October.
MIDAUTUMN DAY FULL
This holiday is observed on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar that also has a full moon. Also known as a Mooncake Festival or Moon Festival, this holiday is observed in Mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival that’s celebrated in various regions of Eastern and Southeastern Asia.