The Mid-Autumn Festival, known as Zhongqiu Jie (中秋节) in Chinese, is also referred to as the Mooncake Festival or Moon Festival. It is the second most important festival in China, following the Chinese New Year. In 2024, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 17th, and people in Mainland China will enjoy a one-day public holiday in celebration.
Although modern society has sufficient food supplies, the Mid-Autumn Festival remains significant because the full moon symbolizes family reunions. As the festival evolved, it gained additional meanings, including prayers for good health and happiness. It’s a time for family gatherings, reminiscent of Thanksgiving in the West.
How People Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival
As one of China's most significant festivals, Mid-Autumn is celebrated in various traditional ways that reflect its deep cultural roots. Here are some of the most popular customs:
- Enjoying a Family Dinner
The roundness of the moon during Mid-Autumn represents family reunion in Chinese culture. Families gather for a meal on this night, taking advantage of the public holiday (usually three days) to travel back home if needed. Those unable to reunite with family often spend the evening with friends. They preferably enjoy a dish that can be shared among members like Hot Pot.
- Eating Mooncakes
Mooncakes are the iconic food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Their round shape and sweet flavor symbolize completeness and sweetness. People eat mooncakes with their families or gift them to loved ones as a gesture of love and good wishes. Mooncakes are typically enjoyed after dinner while admiring the moon.
Other Traditional Mid-Autumn Foods
Since the festival traditionally celebrates the harvest, foods like crabs, pumpkins, pomelos, and grapes are popular during this time. These foods are not only fresh and nutritious but also symbolize prosperity due to their round shapes.
- Appreciating the Moon
The full moon symbolizes family unity in Chinese culture. It’s believed that the moon on Mid-Autumn night is the brightest and most beautiful of the year. Families often set a table outdoors, sit together, and admire the moon while eating mooncakes. Parents tell the legend of Chang’e Rabbit Flying to the Moon, and children try to spot Rabbit shape in the moon.
Tsukimi: Japan’s Harvest Moon Festival
In Japan, the full moon of mid-autumn is celebrated with Tsukimi (月見), or the Japanese Harvest Moon Festival. Like in China, this festival is centered around family gatherings and appreciating the seasonal changes. The Harvest Moon, which rises at sunset and appears larger and more colorful, marks the occasion. In 2024, Tsukimi will be celebrated in mid-September or early October.
How the Japanese Celebrate Tsukimi
- Tsukimi Hot Pot (Sukiyaki or Shabu-shabu)
Japanese enjoy eating hot pot like Sukiyaki or Shabu-shabu together with family and friends. Sukiyaki is the most popular with typical sweet broth enjoyed with beaten raw or pasteurized egg, while for those who appreciates the original taste of the meat will enjoy shabu-shabu.
- Tsukimi Dishes
One of the key features of Tsukimi is the inclusion of eggs in dishes. Tsukimi Soba and Tsukimi Udon are popular dishes where a Raw or Pasteurized Egg is placed on top of noodles. The egg yolk resembles the bright full moon, enhancing the symbolism of the festival.
- Tsukimi Burger
Japanese innovation has led to the creation of the Tsukimi Burger, a burger with a sunny-side-up egg in the middle. This burger, often found in fast-food chains like McDonald's during the Tsukimi season, is a modern take on the celebration, combining the love for eggs with the symbolism of the moon.
- Tsukimi Steak
The Japanese like to see round-shaped steak for this particular occasion, and therefore, Tenderloin is the preferred choice. Wagyu Tenderloin has the closest resemblance to the shape of the moon, with white marbling representing the moon's surface.
- Tsukimi Snacks and Decoration
Japanese families often arrange traditional decorations like pampas grass (susuki) and bush clover (hagi) by the windows where the moon can be seen. These arrangements, along with offerings of rice dumplings (Tsukimi Dango), persimmons, and other seasonal fruits, are placed on the veranda to honor the lunar god.
Reflection and Gratitude
Even as modern customs have influenced the Tsukimi Festival, its deeper meanings remain intact. It is a time for reflection, giving thanks, and praying for good health. Many temples and shrines hold events, including traditional dance performances and poetry recitals from Japan’s Heian era.
Both the Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Tsukimi in Japan celebrate the beauty of the full moon and emphasize family reunions, gratitude, and the joy of seasonal harvests. These festivals remind us to pause, reflect, and appreciate the simple yet profound connections between nature, family, and tradition.