The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar (usually around mid or late September), a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar. At this time, the moon is at its fullest and brightest, marking an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest.
The festival, also known as The Mooncake Festival or The Lantern Festival, is one of the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar (the other being the Chinese Lunar New Year) and is dating back over 3,000 years to China's Zhou Dynasty.
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A small insight from 'Metropolasia-Man':
Many legends and folk stories try to explain the origins of the extremely popular Mid-Autumn Festival, but at the end of the day, it is mainly a harvest festival, similar to autumn holidays that are celebrated in many cultures around the world...
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Many legends and folk stories are related to this holiday and its traditions. According to one of them, the Mid-Autumn Festival commemorates an uprising in China against the Mongol rulers of the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century.
As group gatherings were banned at those times, it was impossible to make plans for a rebellion...
But, noting that the Mongols did not eat mooncakes, the Chinese rebel leader, Zhu Yuan Zhang (who later became the founder and first emperor of the Ming Dynasty) decided to opt for a creative idea, suggested by one of his advisors...
They timed the rebellion to coincide with the Mid-Autumn Festival and sought the authorities' permission to distribute thousands of moon cakes to the Chinese residents in the city, to bless the longevity of the Mongol emperor...
Inside each cake, however, they inserted a piece of paper with the message: "Kill the Tatars on the 15th day of the Eighth Moon". On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government.
The traditional food of this festival, therefore, is the mooncake, of which there are many different varieties.
Another famous legend relates this date to the mythical goddess Chang'e and her flight to the moon. The story of Chang'e is familiar to every Chinese, and a favorite subject of poets. Unlike many lunar deities in other cultures who personify the moon, Chang'e only lives on the moon.
The festival is also known as the Lantern Festival and various parts of Hong Kong, especially Public parks, are ablaze with thousands of lanterns in all colors, sizes and shapes.
One of the festival's highlights is the Fire Dragon Dance that takes place in Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, where fascinating street shows and Dragon dances are held for three consecutive nights (14th to 16th nights of the 8th lunar month). If you are in Hong Kong at that time, make sure you don't miss it...
To get to the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance: Take exit B of MTR-Tin Hau, cross the road and walk along Tung lo wan Road for a few minutes, until you reach the small streets where celebrations are held - Ormsby Street and Wun Sha Street
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Next in line: The year's longest night and Christmas
