Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations

Every year in Autumn, people get together with their friends and family members to celebrate this festival. Mid-Autumn Festival, originated in ancient China, is traditionally celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, which is usually in September. On that day, the moon is believed to be the fullest of the whole year. In addition to the Greater China region, the festival is also celebrated in Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea and even in western countries. The Mid-Autumn Festival is on 24 September in 2018, and on 13 September in 2019.

Mooncake Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Mooncake Festival as most people keep up the tradition of eating mooncakes on this festive occasion. Other than traditional mooncakes which filled with lotus seed paste and egg yolks, there are different kinds of Mid-Autumn Festival food like snowy mooncake and ice-cream mooncake, seasonal fruits and other crops such as star fruit, grapefruit, taro, chestnut, water chestnut, pear and persimmon etc.

Mid-Autumn Festival Activities in Hong Kong

Generally, you can see lantern decoration everywhere in the city, including parks, MTR stations and shopping malls. At night, people usually go to open areas like parks or beaches so as to admire the full moon, light some candles, hold or hang some Chinese lanterns.

One of the spotlights of the celebration is Tai Hang Fire Dragon. The fire dragon dance will be held for three consecutive days with over hundreds of people dancing in the streets with the fire dragon at night. The activity has been added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list.

There are Lantern Displays and Carnivals across Hong Kong. All of them are admission free. You can find traditional art performances, stage shows, game stalls, lantern riddle quiz and more. The grandest one is held in Victoria Park on Hong Kong Island.

Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals

Hong Kong Island
Victoria Park, Causeway Bay

• Carnival Night: 24.9.2018 (Mon) 8-11 pm
• Youth Night: 23.9.2018 (Sun) 7:30-9:30 pm

Hong Kong Intangible Cultural Heritage:

• Exhibition on Traditional Paper Crafting (21-25.9)
• Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance (24.9)

Kowloon
Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, Tsim Sha Tsui

• Theme: To the Moon
  • 15.9-1.10.2018 (Sat – Mon) 6:30-11pm*
• Lantern Display at Carnival Sites
  • 21-25.9.2018 (Fri – Tue) 6:30-11pm*

*Lighting-up time for all Lantern Displays and Lighting Installation will be extended to 12 midnight on 24.9.

New Territories East
Tai Po Waterfront Park

• Carnival Night: 23.9.2018 (Sun) 7:30-10pm
• Youth Night: 22.9.2018 (Sat) 7:30-9:30pm

New Territories West
Tuen Mun Park

• Carnival Night: 25.9.2018 (Fri) 7:30-10pm
• Youth Night: 24.9.2018 (Sat) 7:30-9:30pm

Mid-Autumn Festival Story

Some folklorists believe that the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival was to celebrate the fall harvest and to worship the God of land, which is a kind of thanksgiving activity. While the most commonly known Mid Autumn Festival legend is that, a lovely Chinese girl called Chang-o with a rabbit had become a fairy and flied to the Moon after she ate the elixir of life. Since then, people have started to worship the Moon and pray for peace and fortune.

Anyhow, I hope that you enjoy this article and also the Mid-Autumn Festival. Feel Free to share your favourite festive experience, food and photos with us.

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