For Chinese people living far from their hometowns, they may go back and reunite with their families only twice a year, one on Chinese New Year in the first half of a year and the other on Mid-Autumn Festival in the latter half.
On the festival day Friday 13th September, all family members will appreciate the moon and eat mooncakes together. There are lantern shows and other celebrations as well, especially in southern China, where the lantern activities are grander.
Why is Mid-Autumn Festival important? Chinese think highly of the family and they cherish the moment when families gather together. Nowadays people are busy with their work and don’t have much time for family gathering.
The Mid-Autumn Festival gives people an opportunity to meet their loved ones. So they try their best to manage their way home. In such an important time of family reunion, they enjoy their time to eat reunion dinner, share mooncakes and appreciate the moon together.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is on the full moon day of fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, so the festival is also called Moon Festival and all the celebration activities are related to the moon, such as appreciating the moon, worshipping the moon, praying to the moon for good luck and good marriage, etc.
During the festival, people eat mooncakes while appreciating the moon, worship the moon with mooncakes, and send mooncakes to relatives, friends, colleagues, teachers, etc. as gifts. When the festival is approaching, people can see various mooncakes being made and sold everywhere in desserts stores, snack stores, supermarkets and shopping malls.
