QLG‘s Tips On The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival

Celebrated across East Asia on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month which holiday is a traditional Chinese festival with lantern light, sweet pastry and family reunion. But the reason why this specific moon is a beautiful confluence of ancient agricultural cycles, sophisticated lunar astronomy and deeply human expectations.

The Lunar Calendar

The primary source for the timing of the Mid-Autumn Festival is the traditional lunisolar calendar which has guided life in agrarian societies like China for millennia. Unlike the purely solar Gregorian calendar, the system synchronizes with the phases of the moon which each month beginning on the day of the new moon. The 15th day of any lunar month is always the day of the full moon when the sun and moon are in opposition. The 8th lunar month typically corresponds to late September and early October in the Gregorian calendar marks the culmination of the summer harvest. The hard work of planting and tending is over and the granaries are full. Ancient Chinese emperors viewed themselves as the link between heaven and earth would perform formal rituals to the moon during this time to offer thanks for the harvest and praying for a prosperous year to come.

Stories, Mooncakes And Activity

The content of the festival composed of the stories, foods and activities. The most famous myth associated with the festival. The tale of Chang'e ate the elixir, flew to the sky and separated from her lover then she raised a jade rabbit as a companion. Gazing up at the full and luminous disc, it’s easy for the imagination to see the outline of the legendary rabbit or picture the beautiful Chang'e which is a reminder of the value of being with one's family.

The festival's iconic food is the mooncake. Mooncake is a edible for the full moon and the harvest. Its round shape symbolizing the moon, completeness and reunion. Historically, these cakes were also a practical way to share and preserve the nutrients needed for the coming winter. Every shared slice of mooncake is a ritual of gratitude and a wish for wholeness.

The central activity of the festival is simply gathering under the moon's glow. Families and friends meet for a festive meal and people of all ages find a quiet spot to simply "appreciate the moon" (赏月, shǎng yuè). This act of collective moon gazing transforms an astronomical event into a spiritual experience.