Introduction
The Mid Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Asia. It's celebrated by people of all different countries and beliefs, making it a truly international event. The holiday is also known as Zhong Qiu Jie which translates to "the night of the autumn equinox" depending on where you are from. The festival takes place on September 21st this year.
It's a time to be with family and to enjoy the company of loved ones. It's also a time where people come together and appreciate nature; whether that is through spending time outdoors or cooking outside on a fire. It is a holiday that people in Asia take seriously and cherish it for its great benefits and rich history.
This article will explore why it's so important, how people celebrate it, what traditions are involved.
1. What is the Mid Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is an old festival that dates back to the 7th century, but it continues to be celebrated today. Even though there are various ways to celebrate this festival, it's recognized as a Chinese tradition that celebrates the harvest season.
On this day, people give thanks for all the things they have and enjoy the night sky together. The moon is often featured prominently in arts and decorations during this time. One of the most memorable aspects of this holiday is the round mooncakes eaten on Mid-Autumn Festival eve. Families get together to eat mooncakes and enjoy each other's company.
2. How people celebrate it
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for people to get together to celebrate the harvest season. Lanterns are often used as decorations as well as to light up the streets and float through town during nighttime festivities. Common additions include paper steamboats which are traditionally given away for free by local temples and riverside attractions. These boats feature a design that is unique to each temple or attraction, which makes them a popular addition to family collections.
3. The traditions involved
Some of the most popular customs associated with Mid-Autumn Festival include giving round moon cakes to friends and family, decorating temples, displaying plates of fruit on windowsills, stringing peach blossom branches (and clothes over them), hanging scarecrows, holding children's lantern processions at night, wearing qipao (cheongsam) and eating Yuan Xiao.
The holiday is typically celebrated by going outside to view the full moon and spending time with friends and family. In China, a common way to celebrate the day is to share a meal of round cakes (mooncakes) together. The tradition is so important that it's estimated over 10 billion cakes are made each year! Another very interesting tradition involves displaying various fruits such as pomelos and grapes in windowsills. If one of these fruits is too sour or bitter, it's believed that the family will have a poor harvest in the coming year.
4. Interesting facts about the holiday
Some interesting facts about this festival that you might not have known is that the American company NASA has a website that tracks the phases of the moon. It also has a section dedicated to Mid Autumn Festival, because the autumnal equinox typically falls on this day.
In China, Mid Autumn Festival is celebrated by eating moon cakes and drinking lots of tea. In Taiwan, people eat Yuan Xiao rice dumplings stuffed with sesame paste and boiled egg yolks.
One of the most important things to do on this day is to look at the moon with friends and family, as it's said that you can see more clearly when there are two people looking together. It's also a good time for lovers to go stargazing, because girls were told by their mothers and grandmothers that it's the best time of year to pick a husband.
5. The 2021 Mid Autumn Festival in Hong Kong
Hong Kong will be celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival in 2021 on September 19th. There are many events to celebrate this day like lucky coin-tossing, lion dances and paper lanterns. Hong Kong Disneyland Park will be opening its gates to celebrate the day and bring more people together.
In Hong Kong people can watch the fire dragon and lion dances, enjoy festival food and drinks with friends or family members at a local festival as well as lantern displays. There may even be some sales on festival related merchandise while you're out there exploring this wonderful city.
This annual fire dragon parade started mysteriously in 1880. It is the biggest of the several Fire Dragon Dances in Hong Kong for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it is in the popular tourist area of Causeway Bay.
People line the streets to watch the free public spectacle as the long fire dragon is carried aloft by about 300 volunteers. It is about 70 meters (230 feet) long and is composed of 32 connected sections.
Conclusion
Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important festivals in Asia. It's celebrated by people of all different countries and beliefs, making it a truly international event.
Hong Kong is a place that always has something new to offer, and this time around the mid-autumn festival will be no exception. The atmosphere in Hong Kong during these few weeks can't really compare with anything else!
MWT Sourcing has many years’ worth of knowledge about Asian culture. If you plan to visit Hong Kong, we would love to help provide suggestions on where best suited as well as give recommendations for our best partners and friends!