Concept
The Mid-Autumn Festival (Chinese: 中秋節 / 中秋节), also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture. Similar holidays are celebrated in Japan (), Korea (), Vietnam (), and other countries in East and Southeast Asia. It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture; its popularity is on par with that of Chinese New Year. The history of the Mid-Autumn Festival dates back over 3,000 years. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, the Chinese believe that the Moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn. Lanterns of all size and shapes, are carried and displayed – symbolic beacons that light people's path to prosperity and good fortune. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean, egg yolk, meat or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is based on the legend of Chang'e, the Moon goddess in Chinese mythology. The Mid-Autumn Festival is so-named as it is held on the 15th of the 8th lunar month in the Chinese calendar around the autumn equinox. Its name varies among Sinitic languages, with the most common one being simply "Mid-Autumn Festival" (; Wugniu: tson1-chieu1-ciq7; THRS: zúng qiú jièd) or simply "Mid-Autumn" (中秋), as well as its traditional calendar date, either "Fifteenth of the Eighth Month" (; paq7-yuq8 zeq8-ng6; bàd ngiad seb ǹg) or "Half of the Eighth Month" (; paq7-yuq8-poe5; bàd ngiad ban), which is more regional. Other regional names include "Eighth Month Festival" (; Nanjingese: ba5 üe5 zie5) used in places such as the Northeast, Southern Fujian, and Jianghuai, "Festival of Unity" (; Wugniu: doe2-yoe2-ciq7; Nanjingese: tuang2 üän2 zie5) used in Shanghai and Nanjing, as well as "Mooncake Festival" () in Guangzhou.
