The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the biggest festivals in Asia celebrated by the people of China annually. It is also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture.
Just like many countries and tribes around the world celebrate their unique festivals, China is held down by the uniqueness of the Mid-Autumn festival and its impact on Chinese culture.
In China, Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration of the rice harvest and many fruits. With this festival, ceremonies are held both to give thanks for the harvest and to encourage the harvest-giving light to return again in the coming year.
Read Also: Mid Autumn Festival Celebration In Asia
When is the mid-autumn festival in 2022?
The 2022 edition of the mid-autumn festival is slated for September 10, 2022. This date is expected to be the day for the grand durbar and finalization of the week-long celebration of the thanksgiving festival.
How long is the mid-autumn festival?
According to reports, the mid-autumn festival lasts for a week as different cultural activities are carried out in different parts of China to commemorate it. It happens normally on the 15th of the 8th lunar month in the Chinese calendar.
Mid-autumn festival lantern
During the traditions and celebrations of this all-important cultural event, lanterns of all sizes and shapes are carried and displayed with symbolic beacons that light people’s path to prosperity and good fortune.
Mid-autumn festival traditions
When it comes to the mid-autumn festival traditions, we must know that just as lanterns are carried as symbols, many other rituals are carried out across China and Asia with an important part of the festival celebration being Moon worship.
Lanterns of many different sizes and shapes are carried and displayed during the event to become beacons that light people’s path to prosperity and good fortune.
Mid-autumn festival food
Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet bean, egg yolk, meat, or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival.
Mid-Autumn festival story
The Chinese have celebrated the harvest during the autumn full moon since the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BCE). The term mid-autumn first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BCE). The royal court was dedicated to the goddess Taiyinxingjun. This is still true for Taoism and Chinese folk religion.
The celebration as a festival only started to gain popularity during the early Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). One legend explains that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang started to hold formal celebrations in his palace after having explored the Moon-Palace
