The
Moon
Festival
The Moon Festival
 The Moon Festival (“Zhong Qiu
Jie”——中秋节), is also known
as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is
celebrated on the 15th day of the
8th month of the lunar calendar.
 On the evening of the Moon
Festival, the moon is at its largest
and brightest.
 The full moon symbolizes
abundance, harmony and luck.
What is the Moon Festival about
 3 main reasons for celebrating the Moon
Festival
 Gathering: Family members and loved come
together and enjoy the full moon. Those who
can not return home watch the bright
moonlight and feel deep longing for their loved
ones.
 Thanksgiving: A chance to be thankful for
family and friends and the year’s harvest.
 Praying: Prayers for good fortune and
romance.
Celebrating the Moon Festival
 Today, festivities
centered around the
Moon Festival are more
varied. After a family
reunion dinner, many
people like to go out to
attend special
performances in parks
and public squares.
Celebrating in China
 People in different parts of
China have different ways of
celebrating the Moon Festival.
 In Guangzhou (Southern
China), a huge lantern show is a
big attraction for local citizens.
 Thousands of various shaped
lanterns are lit, forming a
fantastic contrast with the
bright moonlight.
Watching Flood Tide
 In East China's Zhejiang
Province, crowds gather to
watch the flood tide of the
Qian-tang River during the
Mid-Autumn Festival
 The flood tide that forms at
the narrow mouth of the
Qian-tang river is
particularly impressive.
 This spectacle not only
attracts locals but also
those from other parts of
the country.
Story of Eating Moon Cake at the Festival
 In the 14th century, the eating of moon cakes at
Mid-Autumn Festival was given a new
significance.
 Zhu Yuan Zhang was plotting to overthrow the
Yuan Dynasty started by the Mongolians
 The rebels hid their messages in the Mid-Autumn
moon-cakes.
 Mid-Autumn Festival is hence also a
commemoration of the overthrow of the
Mongolians by the Han people.
About the Moon Cake
Moon Cakes are synonymous with the
Moon Festival
They come in various flavours, shapes
and sizes. Usually they measuring three
inches in diameter and one and a half
inches in thickness.
The main ingredients are: melon
seeds, lotus seeds, almonds, minced
meats, bean paste, orange peels.
Some fillings include a golden yolk
from a salted duck egg in the center
About the Moon Cake
 Chinese characters stamped on top of the moon cake
indicate the name of the bakery and the type of
filling.
Traditionally, thirteen moon cakes were piled in a
pyramid to symbolize the thirteen moons of a
“complete year”, that is, twelve moons plus one
intercalary moon.
Nowadays, they are usually presented in boxes of four
which indicate the four phases of the moon.
What Else to Eat at the Festival
 This day is also considered a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables
and grain had been harvested.
 Food offerings are placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. Fruits
offered may include:
apples, pears, peaches, grapes,
pomegranates melons, oranges
and pomelos.
 Special foods inclulde cooked taro
and water caltrop, a type of water
chestnut resembling black buffalo horns.
 Taro holds a special significance because at the time of creation,
taro was the first food discovered at night in the moonlight.
Celebrating in Other Countries
 The Moon Festival is also celebrated in
 Korea
 Japan
 Vietnam.
Moon Festival in Korea
 In Korea, it is called “Ch’usok”.
 A 3-day holiday where families return to their hometown to thank
their ancestors for the good harvest.
 Various folk games are played which vary region to region.
 Traditional foods include:
 Songpyeon (half moon shaped
rice cakes in various flavors)
 Hangwa (An artistic food decorated
with natural colors made with
rice flour, honey, fruit, and roots)
In Japan
 In Japan, it is called Tsukimi or otsumiki (moon viewing).
 It is a quieter celebration and this tradition was introduced by the
Chinese over 1000 years ago.
 Also holds the meaning of celebrating the autumn harvest.
 The celebration includes eating rice
dumplings called "tsukimi dango.”
 As an offering to the moon, dumplings
and taro potatoes placed in an alter.
In Vietnam
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In Vietnam, it is called “Tet Trung-Thu”.
Emphasis on celebration of children.
Children join parades holding lanterns and wearing masks.
Lanterns signify a wish for the sun’s light and warmth to
return.
 Special foods include: cakes and fruits elaborately prepared
as food displays.
The Moon Festival is one of the most
widespread and popular holidays
 The Moon Festival is a celebration of
harvest, abundance and family unity.
 It is one of the most widespread and
popular holidays after the New Year.
 So get ready to eat mooncakes, rice
cakes, dance and make paper
lanterns
 Let's celebrate!