Five popular Mid-Autumn Festival traditions

Mid-Autumn Festival is a time of harvest celebrated in most East Asian countries, such as China and Vietnam. The festival takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese calendar. This year it's on Oct 4.

There are many traditional and new celebrations. Read on to see how Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.

   Eating Mooncakes  

A mooncake is a traditional Chinese pastry. There is an ancient Chinese belief in rejuvenation that was then associated with the moon and water. 

Offerings are usually made to the well-known lunar deity, Chang'e, the moon goddess of immortality.

Here we introduce the top 10 flavors of mooncakes that you may consider.

Appreciating the moon 

In Chinese beliefs, the full moon is the symbol of a family reunion. People usually celebrate the festival at night.

The most important activity is to appreciate the bright full moon. It is highly recommended that you find the best place with a great view of the moon, such as a roof, a balcony, a mountaintop or a lakeside.

Worshiping the moon 

After dinner, every family will put a table outside the door, or in the courtyard.

Nowadays, this tradition is disappearing. It's rare to see families worshiping the moon in big cities. 

In some old towns or tourist cities, people will hold a ceremony to worship the moon in a square, park or street, but this is more like a performance.

Fruit to honor the moon include a watermelon, grapefruit, pomegranate, pear, persimmon, grapes or other seasonal fruit.

  Making colorful lanterns  

A notable part of the holiday celebration involves carrying brightly lit lanterns, lighting lanterns on towers or launching floating sky lanterns called Kongming, which can float because the burning candles heat the air in the lantern. 

People write good wishes on the lanterns and let them fly up into the sky. Making colorful lanterns is also children's favorite activity.

  Having dinner together  

In the past, mothers would cook delicious food at home and families would spend some happy time together. 

Nowadays, most families tend to have dinner at a restaurant rather than cook at home.

Editors: Zhang Xi, A Yimu (intern)

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