China’s Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 8th month of the year on the 15th day in the China’s lunar calendar (in September or October). Mid-Autumn Festival 2018 is on 24th September；It is the second most important festival for Chinese people after the Chinese New Year.

① What is Mid-Autumn Festival?
To the Chinese, Mid-autumn festival means family reunion and peace. The festival is celebrated when the moon is believed to be at its fullest. To the Chinese, a full moon is a symbol of prosperity, happiness and family reunion. The main traditions and celebrations include eating mooncakes, gazing and worshipping the moon, and displaying lanterns.

Mid-Autumn Festival Facts
Chinese name: 中秋节 Zhongqiujie /jong-chyoh-jyeah/
Importance: The second most important (traditional) Chinese Festival after Chinese New Year
Date: September or October
Popular food: mooncakes
Celebrations: Gazing and admiring the full moon, eating mooncakes
Origin: A harvest festival related to the worshipping of the moon.
History: Over 3,000 years
Greetings: The simplest is "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival" (中秋快乐).

② How the Chinese Celebrate Mid-Autumn?
Many traditional and meaningful celebrations are held in most households in China and China's neighboring countries, like having dinner with family, admiring the full moon, eating mooncakes, and lightingup kongming lanterns. Guess lantern riddles, Enjoy sweet scented osmanthus wine, Offer sacrifice to the moon.

③ Why Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated and How it started?

The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years, dating back to moon worship in the Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC). It‘s such an important festival that many poems were written about it, stories and legends on the festival are widespread, and its origins have been told to many generations.

Mooncakes — the Must-Eat Mid-Autumn Treat

④ Mooncakes are traditional Chinese pastries eaten to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival typically involves much giving, receiving, and eating of mooncakes.

Chinese mooncakes are the traditional dessert/snack of Mid-Autumn Festival. They are round in shape, like the full moon of Mid-Autumn’s evening harvest. Up to 10 cm (4 inches) wide and 5 cm (2 inches) deep, most mooncakes consist of a pastry skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling.

Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges, and shared by family members, generally with Chinese tea.