1 Gazing at and Appreciating the Moon

In celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is an important traditional custom for all participants to gaze at and appreciate the glorious full moon while it is at its brightest and roundest point of the whole year. This has been a classic activity since ancient times. The custom of appreciating the moon originated from a memorial ceremony that was held during which sacrifices were offered to the dear moon.Today, people still maintain the tradition of revering the moon during the Chinese Moon Festival.

2 Eating Mooncakes

2 Eating Mooncakes

Mooncakes (月饼), play a vital and significant role in the Chinese Moon Festival as an indispensable food that day. The round mooncakes, which were traditionally used as sacrificial offerings for the Moon God, are considered nowadays as symbols of family reunion.

The stuffing inside the saccharine pastries generally include pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, crystal sugar, egg yolk, bean paste, lotus seed, peanuts, almonds, and many other delicacies. Blended together in various combinations, they taste rich but not. During the festival, it is also common for the Chinese to give mooncakes to their relatives and friends as presents, expressing their love and kind regards.

3 Relishing a Reunion Dinner

Besides appreciating the moon and dining on mooncakes, attending a grand family dinner with family members perhaps not seen in daily life is a most important activity for the Chinese. Family members, no matter how far away from home, will try their best to go back home and get together with their parents and extended family, and the best way to enjoy this time is by dining on a fantastic meal!

During the meal, everyone catches up with their loved ones’ lives, making the event full of love and warmth all around. Because of the deep ties to family life, the reunion dinner is one of the most beloved reasons that the Chinese celebrate the Chinese Moon Festival.

4 Playing with Lanterns

The Mid-Autumn Festival ranks as one of China’s top 3 lantern festivals, even if it doesn’t boast such large-scale lantern shows such as those exhibited during the Lantern Festival. However, playing with lanterns brings great pleasure to children and families, making it the perfect pastime during this family-based holiday.

Children are particularly fond of making their own traditional lanterns, which are made of paper and contain a candle inside. There are also plastic ones available for purchase in stores in all towns and cities during this season with battery lighting. The young ones then dangle their beloved lanterns in front of them as they walk outside the evening of the Moon Festival. The streets positively light up with the glow of hundreds if not thousands of lit lanterns!