Falling on the 15th day of the 8th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival after the Spring Festival to Chinese people. Mid-Autumn Festival 2015 is on September 27.
And we will get an extra day off in September 28th this year.
It takes its name from the fact that it is always celebrated in the middle of the autumn season. The day is also known as the Moon Festival, as at that time of the year the moon is at its roundest and brightest. Mid-Autumn Festival is an inherited custom of moon sacrificial ceremonies. The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years, dating back to moon worship in the ancient Shang Dynasty (1600–1046 BC). It has been considered as such an important day that many poems, stories and legends were written about it.
The ancient Chinese observed that the movement of the moon had a close relationship with changes of the seasons and agricultural production. Hence, to express their thanks to the moon and celebrate the harvest, they offered a sacrifice to the moon on autumn days.
In addition, there are some other customs like playing lanterns, and dragon and lion dances in some regions. People go home from every corner of the country and the world to meet their family and have dinner with them, admire the full moon and eat together. The Moon Cake is the special food of Mid-Autumn Festival. On that day, people sacrifice moon cakes to the moon as an offering and eat them for celebration. According to the region they come in various flavors; they are round, symbolizing the reunion of a family, so it is easy to understand how the eating of moon cakes under the round moon can evoke longing for distant relatives and friends.
Nowadays, people present moon cakes to relatives and friends to demonstrate that they wish them a long and happy life. On Mid-Autumn Festival night the moon is supposed to be the brightest and fullest: it symbolizes peace, prosperity and family reunion.
Be sure do not miss the biggest The Lantern Carnivals at the The Tai Hang area and in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay, besides showcasing an incredible variety of colorful, bright shiny lanterns, feature also many cultural events and performances including song and dances, kung fu, acrobatics, craft demonstrations and a big fire dragon dance.
The same fire dragon contraption used at the Tai Hang parade is featured at Victoria Park. One old tradition of this full moon harvest festival is to light and hang lanterns. The grandest of all lantern displays is at Victoria Park where city crowds bask in their ambient glow. The grand display is chosen during an annual lantern competition.
The 2011 display made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest sculpture made of lanterns.
For more information on this year’s Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnivals and Exhibitions check out the official site of the Hong Kong Leisure and and Cultural Services Department at www.lcsd.gov.hk.
Have a nice holiday !!!
