The Mid-Autumn Festival
By Iris Huang
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is one of the most important traditional holidays celebrated by East and Southeast Asian communities around the world. The festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Friday 25 September.
For thousands of years, this special day has been a time for families to gather, share a meal, and give thanks for the year’s harvest. Much like Thanksgiving in the United States, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates gratitude, abundance, and togetherness.
A festival with ancient roots
The origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival can be traced back more than 3,000 years. Early celebrations were connected to the harvest season. After months of hard work in the fields, families could finally enjoy the fruits of their labor and pray for favorable weather in the coming year.
Ancient emperors also performed ceremonies to honor the moon and give thanks for a successful harvest. Over time, the festival evolved into a celebration enjoyed by people from all walks of life.
By the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), the Mid-Autumn Festival had become an officially recognized holiday. The traditions of family reunions, moon appreciation, lantern displays, and mooncakes grew increasingly popular and continue to this day.
The legend of Chang’e
No Mid-Autumn Festival celebration would be complete without the story of Chang’e, the Moon Goddess.
According to Chinese legend, there were once ten suns in the sky, scorching the earth and causing great suffering. A heroic archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns and saved humanity. As a reward, he received an elixir of immortality.
Hou Yi did not wish to leave his beloved wife, Chang’e, so he kept the potion hidden. One day, a greedy man tried to steal it. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, Chang’e drank the elixir herself and floated up to the moon, where she has lived ever since.
Heartbroken, Hou Yi placed Chang’e’s favorite foods beneath the moon and gazed upward, hoping to feel close to her. Many people believe this legend inspired today’s custom of moon appreciation during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
A mid-autumn festival in the Tang Dynasty
During the Tang Dynasty the Mid-Autumn Festival would be the occasion for a large family gathering. While the wife would be up early preparing a family feast, her husband would be attending an official moon ceremony. Through the day, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would arrive carrying gifts, fruits, and materials for making lanterns. The children would eagerly gather around their grandfather, as he taught them how to build beautiful lanterns by hand.
In the kitchen, generations of women would work side by side making mooncakes. They’d chat, laugh, and share family stories while preparing the holiday meal. Moments like these would remind everyone how precious family time is.
As evening approached, the family would gather around a large table filled with delicious dishes. Roast duck, steamed fish, taro, dumplings, seasonal fruits, and fragrant osmanthus wine would be shared among loved ones.
After dinner came everyone’s favorite part: mooncakes. The children would eagerly reach for sweet fillings such as red bean paste and lotus seed paste. Some adults would prefer savory varieties, while others would enjoy traditional five-nut mooncakes packed with seeds and nuts.
The family would move outdoors to admire the bright full moon. Stories of Chang’e would be told once again. Poetry would be written. Laughter would fill the air. Later, the older children would head to the lantern festival, excited to participate in riddles, games, and performances.
The day would end with wishes for happiness, prosperity, and another year of good fortune.
Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival today
Modern life often makes family gatherings more difficult. Many people live far from their parents, siblings, and childhood friends. Even so, the Mid-Autumn Festival continues to remind us of the importance of staying connected.
Today, families may celebrate with video calls, messages, or small gatherings. Businesses often send mooncakes as gifts to customers, partners, and employees as a gesture of appreciation.
No matter how we celebrate, the spirit of the holiday remains the same: gratitude, reunion, and love.
Where to celebrate in Bangkok
If you’re in Bangkok, there are several wonderful places to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Take an evening stroll along the Chao Phraya River and watch the moon reflected on the water. For a quieter experience, visit Lumphini Park or Benjakitti Park and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere under the moonlight.
Bangkok’s Chinatown (Yaowarat) is especially lively during the festival season, with decorations, mooncakes, cultural performances, and festive celebrations for the whole family.
Easy snow skin mooncakes
While you can always purchase mooncakes from a bakery, making them at home is a wonderful way to celebrate the festival with family and friends. These no-bake snow skin mooncakes are simple enough for children to help make.
Makes 16 mini mooncakes
Ingredients
For the snow skin
- 200 g mochi ready-mix powder
- 200 ml warm water
- 30 g neutral-flavored oil
For the filling
- 25 g filling per mooncake (lotus seed paste, red bean paste, chocolate, or your favorite filling)
Other
- Cornstarch, for dusting
- Food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the mochi powder, warm water, and oil until smooth
- Cover the mixture and let it rest for 10 minutes
- If desired, divide the dough and add different food colors to create a colorful range of mooncakes
- Divide the dough into 20 g portions and the filling into 25 g portions
- Flatten a piece of dough into a small circle
- Place the filling in the center and carefully seal the dough around it
- Lightly dust a mooncake mold with cornstarch
- Place the filled dough ball into the mold and press firmly
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving
Enjoy your homemade mooncakes with a cup of tea while admiring the full moon with family and friends. After all, the Mid-Autumn Festival is not really about the mooncakes. It is about taking a moment to appreciate the people we love and remembering that, no matter how far apart we may be, we are all connected under the same moon.
About the Author
Iris Huang is a Chinese mother living in Bangkok who enjoys sharing Chinese culture, traditions, and family recipes. Through her writing, she hopes to connect people across cultures and generations by telling stories that celebrate family, food, and meaningful traditions.