Festival Facts

Name in Chinese: 中秋节 Zhōngqiūjié / 'middle autumn festival'

Date: Monday, September 24, 2018

Must-eat food: mooncakes

Popular activities: admiring the full moon, eating mooncakes, travelling

Greetings: The simplest is "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival" (中秋快乐).

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, and in this year it falls on September 24 (Monday).

The festival gets its name because it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season, usually in September or early October.

Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, as the moon is believed to be at its roundest and brightest at that time of the year and mooncake is the main characteristic festival food .

In China, Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important traditional festival after the Chinese New Year. For millions of Chinese around the world, the festival means family reunion and harmony.

It is an evening celebration where families gather together to light lanterns, eat moon cakes and appreciate the round moon.

This day is also considered a harvest festival since fruit, vegetables and grain have been harvested by this time.

In feudal times, Chinese emperors prayed to Heaven for a prosperous year. They chose the morning of the 15th day of the second lunar month to worship the sun and the night of the 15th day of the eighth lunar month to hold a ceremony in praise of the moon.

History of Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations date back more than 2,000 years ago. The word "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the famous ancient book Zhou Li (The Zhou Rituals, a book telling the rituals in the Zhou Dynasty). However, it was not until the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) that the day was officially celebrated as a traditional festival. It became an established festival during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), and has become as popular as the Spring Festival since the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911).

The Chinese Government listed the festival as intangible cultural heritage in 2006. It was made a public holiday in 2008.

1
Chang'e flying to the moon

Chang'e is the Chinese goddess of the moon who consumed an elixir of life before flying to the moon.

According to the most famous variation of the story in Chinese mythology, in ancient times, 10 suns shined simultaneously in the sky, creating scorching heat on earth: plants were burnt and humans faced death.

Hou Yi, Chang'e's husband and a valiant archer, was able to shoot down nine suns and saved the planet. As a reward he was given an elixir of immortality, but it was only enough for one person.

The archer didn't take the elixir since he didn't want to be separated from his beloved wife, but instead, he asked her to put it away.

After his epic deeds, Hou Yi gained instant fame and respect nationwide and a large number of people flocked to his home to learn his archery skills.

However, an immoral man named Peng Meng was in the throng of people, but only wanted the elixir.

One day when Hou Yi was leading his students outdoors to hunt, the cunning Peng said he was sick and stayed behind. He sneaked into the couple's room to steal the elixir but Chang'e caught him.

Peng tried to force Chang'e to hand over the elixir but she swallowed it and started to floated up to the sky, all the way to the moon.

Legend has it that she chose to stay on the moon, the closest planet to the earth, so that she could stay nearer to her husband.

Hou Yi was heartbroken by her departure. He immediately set up an incense table in his garden and laid out Chang'e favorite foods to pay tribute to her. From then on, people began to worship the moon

2
The Moon Rabbit pounding herbs in vain

The Jade Rabbit, also known as the Moon Rabbit, is often portrayed as a companion of Chang'e in the Moon Palace (or the Guanghan Palace), constantly pounding herbs and trying to make a pill to send her back to earth to be reunited with her husband. But it never succeeds.

Famous Chinese poet Li Bai once wrote in his poem series The Old Dust: “The rabbit in the moon pounds the medicine in vain.”

3
Woodsman Wu Gang chopping the laurel tree

In Chinese folklore, a woodsman was trapped in the vicious circle of chopping a self-healing laurel tree day by day in the Moon Palace. By some magical power, the huge tree is able to heal itself after each stroke.

It's his punishment for offending the Jade Emperor - God of the Heaven. He could only be pardoned after the tree was taken down, but it never worked.

Year after year, the tree still stood verdantly and sheltered the palace beside it.

4
Zhu Yuanzhang's mooncake uprising

The tradition of eating mooncakes on the festival is believed to be linked to Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

In the late Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), people were tortured by the cruel government, which prompted a nationwide rebellion. Zhu Yuanzhang was a rebel leader.

Zhu sought to launch an uprising on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival but it was difficult to get his orders to his supporters, as raids by government forces were intense.

Zhu's troops came up with the idea of hiding notes containing the date of the revolt in mooncakes and distributing them to resistance forces. The ploy worked and the rebels successfully took the capital of the Yuan Dynasty—today's Beijing - and so began the Ming Dynasty.

In celebration, Emperor Zhu ordered the mooncakes used be given to soldiers and the people.

From that grew the custom of consuming mooncakes to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival.

1.Eating Mooncakes—The Most Representative Tradition

Eating mooncakes is the most common and representative tradition of the day. In ordinary times, people won't buy or eat mooncakes but during the Mid-Autumn Festival everyone will have a mooncake to celebrate.

A mooncake is a traditional Chinese pastry. It is made from wheat flour and sweet stuffing, such as sugar and lotus seed powder.

It's a symbol of family reunion, and the cake is traditionally cut into pieces that equal the number of people in the family.

2. Appreciating the Moon—A Symbol of Family Reunion

In Chinese beliefs, the full moon is the symbol for a family reunion. Many famous ancient poets wrote poems about the moon and expressed their homesickness. When people look at the moon, it reminds them of their families and homeland.

3. Worshiping the Moon—A Disappearing Tradition

After dinner, every family will put a table outside the door, or in the courtyard. They put mooncakes, fruit, incense, and candlesticks on the table, facing towards the

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 for worshiping the moon includes a watermelon, grapefruit, pomegranate, pear, persimmon, grapes, or other seasonal fruit.

4. Making Colorful Lanterns—Children's Favorite Activity

Making colorful lanterns is a happy activity between families and children. The lanterns have different shapes and can also resemble animals, plants, or flowers.

Children love making colorful lanterns. They make them in different shapes to be hung in trees or houses, or floated on rivers. Parks will also hang up colorful lanterns, which provide a beautiful view at night.

They also make Kongming lanterns, which can fly because the burning candles heat the air in the lantern. Children write good wishes on the lanterns and let them fly up into the sky.

5. Having Dinner Together—Happy Family Reunion Time

As the Mid-Autumn Festival represents the reunion of families, families will have dinner together on that night. People who don't have time to stay with their parents will try their best to go home to at least have dinner together.

6. Giving Gifts — To Friends, Relatives, and Staff

It's very popular to give gifts to friends and relatives during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the festival, people will pay short visits to friends or relatives, taking gifts with them. They usually leave before dinnertime. This is a good time to get closer to friends and relatives. Companies also like to give a gift to every staff member. The most popular and common gifts are mooncakes and fruit.

7. Sending Celebration Messages — To Those Who Are Far Away

People who are used to using phones will send celebration messages to friends, relatives, or people who are far away. It's also a good way to break the ice if you don't know how to start a conversation by phone. In the past, people sent SMS. Nowadays, young people like to send messages via instant messaging apps, such as WeChat or QQ.

The most popular message is: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! (Chinese: 中秋节快乐! Zhōngqiūjié kuàilè!)

8. Short Distance Traveling — A New Fashionable Custom

The Mid-Autumn Festival is not only a traditional Chinese festival but is also a public holiday for Chinese people. Usually, the Chinese will have three days off including a weekend. Therefore, people can go on short trips with family or friends.

Usually, a couple of weeks or a month before the festival, people will plan their tour to cities around their home or office. And during the 3-day holiday, train tickets are likely to be sold out in advance quickly.

9. Shopping — Popular Among Young People

During almost every big holiday, there will be discounted promotions in supermarkets, shopping malls, and online shops. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, supermarkets will have lottery draws for mooncakes using the consumers' receipts. And because the weather is cooling down, there will also be big summer sales in the shopping malls.

Young people are more likely to go shopping for clothes and to enjoy the big discounts, with online shopping being the most popular type.

10. Watching Movies — For Those Who Don't Have Any Other Ideas

Watching a movie is not a tradition for any festival as you can do this at any time. But when people don't have other plans and want to find a way to celebrate the festival, watching a movie is a good idea.

Usually, families or couples will watch movies after dinner. After shopping for a whole day, young people may also prefer to watch a movie to rest their legs.

At the evening of the celebrations, which traditional foods are a must for families to enjoy in the bright moonlight?

1
Mooncake—The Must-Eat Food

A mooncake is a delicately-stuffed round cake, symbolizing family reunions and best wishes. It is the most traditional and important food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The cake is often exchanged as a gift between family and friends during the festival to convey their best wishes. There are all kinds of moon cakes to choose from. What's especially important about moon cakes is their filling. The traditional fillings are sweetened bean paste, Jujube paste and nut paste. Nowadays, new fillings are being invented and produced all the time such as cream-chocolate or jam and dried fruits.

2
Hairy Crab— Seasonal Festival Delicacy

During Mid-Autumn Festival, hairy crab -- rich in protein and amino acids -- is probably one of most sought-after delicacy among Chinese people. Crabs are ready to lay their eggs around the time of the festival, meaning they are at their tastiest right then. A plate of steamed hairy crabs dressed with ginger and vinegar always forms the highlight of the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion dinner.

3
Osmanthus-Flavored Cake and Wine—For a Happy Life

It's tradition in China to enjoy osmanthus-flavored cake and wine during Mid-Autumn Festival. They may be preferred because Mid-Autumn Festival is when the osmanthus flowers are in full bloom. Enjoying the sweet-scented osmanthus cake and wine also stands for family reunion and a happy life.

4
Lotus Root Foods—For a Charming and Happy Life

Every year, the lotus root harvesting season falls around Mid-Autumn Festival. With the coming of the autumn, it's getting cold and windy outside. Lotus root foods contain essential minerals like copper and valuable complex vitamins which are good for increasing the appetite. The steamed lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice and topped with osmanthus-flavored honey signifies a charming and happy life.

5
Pear—To Avoid Separation

In Mandarin, "pear" is homophonous with "separate," both pronounced as "li." For this reason, eating a pear during Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes the people's wish to avoid separation and implies their desire for reunion.

6
Taro—To Bring Good Luck

The tradition of eating Taro during Mid-Autumn Festival first started during the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912). In Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the word "taro" has the same pronunciation as "luck is inside." Eating them during the festival is believed to dispel any bad luck and bring good luck and wealth throughout the year.

7
Duck—A Popular Main Course

Eating duck is popular during Mid-Autumn Festival because the taste of the duck is very rich during this season. During the festival, people in Fujian Province have the tradition to cook the duck with a type of taro widely found across the area. The duck is seasoned with osmanthus flowers for the festival dinner table in Jiangsu Province, since osmanthus flowers are in full bloom during the season. In Sichuan Province, people enjoy smoked and baked duck as a popular main course.

8
River Snails—To Brighten Your Eyes

River Snails are the Mid-Autumn Festival specialty of Guangzhou City. They might look unappetizing and smell unpleasant when raw, but after being cooked with several herbs and spices to drive out the putrid odor, the delicacy is an indispensable food on the Mid-Autumn Festival dinner table for the people in Guangzhou. The festival is the best season to eat snails and eating them is believed to help brighten the eyesight.

9
Pumpkins—To Bring Good Health

The tradition of eating pumpkin during Mid-Autumn Festival started with poor people living south of the Yangtze River. Legend has it that a long time ago, a girl named Huang Hua who came from a poor family, lived with her gravely ill parents who were unable to feed and clothe themselves. On August 15 on the lunar calendar of one year, she took home two pumpkins and prepared them for her parents, whose health was fully restored after eating the pumpkin. The tradition has been handed down for generations and eating pumpkin on Mid-Autumn Festival night is believed to bring people good health.

Mooncakes are Round or Square Stuffed Pastries

In ancient times, mooncakes were a kind of offering to the moon. Over the centuries, these special cakes have become the most popular food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. They are named after the moon goddess (Chang'e), who is said to make this kind of cake.

Mooncakes typically measure around 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 inches) across and up to 5 cm (2 inches) deep. Most mooncakes have a pastry skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling.

Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges during the festival, and shared by family members. They are generally served with Chinese tea, and, very rarely, mooncakes are served steamed or fried.

Mooncakes Symbolize Family Reunion

In Chinese culture, roundness symbolizes completeness and togetherness. A full moon symbolizes prosperity and reunion for the whole family. Round mooncakes complement the harvest moon in the night sky at the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The mooncake is not just a food. It's a profound cultural tradition deep in Chinese people's hearts, symbolizing a spiritual feeling. At Mid-Autumn Festival people eat mooncakes together with family, or present mooncakes to relatives or friends, to express love and best wishes.

The Top 10 Mooncake Flavors

The types of filling vary according to the region's traditions. The most used fillings are as follows:

Regional Varieties of Mooncakes

Across China, mooncakes vary according to different regional styles and flavors. Mooncake fillings depend on local eating culture and traditions. The most popular variations include:

Cantonese-Style Mooncakes — Sweet with Various Fillings

Cantonese-style mooncakes originate from Southeast China's Guangdong Province. The ingredients used in the fillings are various. The most used ingredients include lotus seed paste, melon seed paste, ham, chicken, duck, roast pork, mushrooms, and egg yolks. Cantonese-style mooncakes taste sweet.

Beijing-Style Mooncakes — Meticulous Decoration

This style is the typical variation in North China. It originated in Beijing and Tianjin. It features the delicate use of sweetness and meticulous decoration. The common proportion of pastry and filling for Beijing-style mooncakes is 4:6.

Suzhou-Style Mooncakes — Crisp Layers of Flaky Dough

Suzhou-style mooncakes (Su mooncakes for short) represent the Yangtze Delta region around Shanghai. Su mooncakes appeared more than a thousand years ago. They are well known throughout China for their layers of flaky pastry and generous allotment of sugar and lard. There are both sweet and savory Suzhou mooncakes.

Chaoshan-Style Mooncakes — Larger with Vegi-Paste

Chaoshan is a region of Guangdong in SE China where many ethnic Chinese in Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand come from. Chaoshan-style mooncakes have a distinct crust. They are larger than most other mooncakes. The most commonly used fillings are mung bean paste, and black bean and potato paste.

Yunnan-Style Mooncakes — Ham and Flower Fillings

The two most famous Yunnan-style mooncakes are ham mooncakes and flower mooncakes.

Ham mooncakes are delicious with fillings of diced ham and sweet honey. The flavor are both sweet and a little bit salty.

Flowers are popular in Yunnan as cake fillings. Fresh roses or other edible flowers are wrapped in the pastry skin of flower mooncakes.

Hong-Kong-Style Mooncakes — Ice-Skin

Ice-skin mooncakes were first popular among Hong Kongers. The skin of the mooncakes is not made of ice. They got this name because their skins are white, and are not baked in an oven, but stored in a refrigerator instead.

Bobing or Mooncake Gambling—A Unique Tradition in Xiamen

Bobing or Moon-cake Gambling is a traditional game to celebrate Mid-autumn Festival in Xiamen. It is a Minnan (southern Fujian) custom which has been passed down since the time of a local war hero called General ZHENG Chenggong, made it a popular game among his army personnel during the Mid-autumn Festival.

Origin of Bobing

The 300-year-old custom of mooncake gambling dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The inventor, Zheng Chenggong (1624-62), a general of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), stationed his army in Xiamen. Zheng was determined to recover Taiwan, which was occupied by Dutch invaders since 1624.

When every Mid-Autumn Festival came, the soldiers naturally missed their families but fought with heroic determination to drive off the aggressors.

General Zheng and his lower officer Hong Xu invented mooncake gambling to help relieve homesickness among the troops.

Later, this unique custom was gradually disseminated and improved among locals, becoming an interesting folk activity.

Rules of the Bobing Game

All the "Bo Bing" game requires are six dice and a china bowl. Just throw the dice into the bowl and the different pips you get stand for different ranks of awards you will win.

The gambling game has six ranks of awards, which are named as the winners in ancient imperial examinations, and has 63 different sized mooncakes as prizes. Nowadays, the mooncakes are not the only kind of award. With the upgrade of people's living standards, daily necessities, household appliances and even money can also be won.

From the lowest to the highest, the titles of six ranks are Xiucai (the one who passed the examination at the county level), Juren (a successful candidate at the provincial level), Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), Tanhua, Bangyan and Zhuangyuan (respectively the number three to number one winners in the imperial examination at the presence of the emperor).

Game players throw the dice by turns. Different pips they count win the player a relevant "title" and corresponding type of mooncakes.

The lucky player who gets the pips to make it the title of "Zhuangyuan," will be the biggest winner in the game, and gain the largest mooncake. Xiamen people believe that the person who wins "Zhuangyuan" in the game, will have good luck that year.

The game has something to do with the number "four". In mooncake gambling, the pips for most ranks of the awards are related to this number.

For instance, one die of four pips wins you "Xiucai" and the smallest mooncake. And if you get four or more dice of four pips, then congratulations - you win "Zhuangyuan."

The game provides 32 mooncakes for "Xiucai", 16 for "Juren" and the rest may be deduced by analogy. Only one player will win the lucky title "Zhuangyuan". That is why a total of 63 mooncakes are prepared for the game.

What's more, people add funny rules. If the dice read "six", then forget all those boring ranks. Turn off all the lights, and then seize as many prizes as possible in the darkness. It is a combination of good memory, high speed and a strong body.

Changes of prizes has made the game even popular among younger generations.