Mid-Autumn Festival: Mooncakes and Family Reunions

Mid-Autumn Festival: Mooncakes and Family Reunions

Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节) is the second most important Chinese holiday after Chinese New Year. It falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (September-October), when the moon is full and bright. The tradition: families gather, eat mooncakes, and gaze at the moon together.

The legend behind it: after archer Hou Yi shot down nine suns to save the earth, he was given an elixir of immortality. His wife Chang’e drank it to prevent a villain from stealing it, floated up to the moon, and lives there forever with a jade rabbit. On the 15th night of the 8th lunar month, the moon is at its brightest, and if you look closely, you can see Chang’e’s silhouette.

Mooncakes (月饼) are the essential food — dense pastries filled with lotus seed paste, red bean paste, or salted egg yolk (symbolizing the full moon). Modern fillings include ice cream, chocolate, and even durian. The traditional kind is an acquired taste — dense, sweet, and rich. One mooncake is enough for four people.