Joanna James
The Mid-Autumn Festival, which is the second most important traditional festival in China, is celebrated by Chinese people in grand style. This article details 10 customs that are linked with this glorious festival.
Mooncakes are delicious Chinese bakery products that are made using wheat flour and sweet stuffing. The Mid Autumn Festival which is centred on lunar appreciation gives a special place to mooncakes. A typical mooncake will measure around 10 centimetres in diameter and has a thickness of 3-4 centimetres.
Eating mooncakes during the Mid Autumn Festival brings the whole family together in a unique way. The cake is cut into pieces so each member of the family gets a piece.
As mentioned earlier, the Mid Autumn Festival is about lunar appreciation. Chinese believe that a full moon is a symbol of a family reunion. So as the silver moon illuminates them in ethereal light, they gather together on rooftops in the evening of the Mid Autumn Festival, enjoy a hearty meal and talk about their day-to-day lives cheerfully.
There was a time when this tradition was quite an important part of the festival, but nowadays worshipping the moon is done mostly as a performance. Chinese worship the moon during the Mid Autumn Festival by placing fruits, incense, mooncakes and candlesticks on a table placed outside their homes.
Little children find great joy during the festival as they are encouraged to get busy making colourful lanterns that resemble animals, plants and flowers. These lanterns are hung on trees outside their homes. Some send their lanterns floating in rivers. Even Kongming lanterns which can fly are quite popular during this season.
Family dinners are important at this festival that aims to bring loved ones closer. A number of people travel home to be with their families at least for dinner, so traffic is generally to be expected during the evening.
Chinese people love to give thoughtfully selected gifts to their loved ones during the Mid Autumn Festival. People visit each other's homes with the gifts that they have picked and merriment always ensues.
Our mobile phones can connect us with those who are far away in an instant! During the Mid Autumn Festival, people like to unite with the ones who are not physically close to them via text messages.
The Mid Autumn Festival is a public holiday for Chinese People so they make use of the little break that they get by taking short, family trips with their loved ones to celebrate the joy of their relationships. They get three days off so short trips are the more feasible option. Those who like to pamper themselves often spend their holidays immersed in the comforts of a leading luxury hotel in Macau. Luxury resorts that become popular among Chinese during the festival include Hotel Okura Macau.
Shopping is certainly an exciting part of any festival. With so many gifts to buy, this favourite past time of many becomes an absolute necessity during this season. Of course, young people do not need an excuse to go shopping! The many offers and discounts of the season make shopping an addictive activity during the festival.
Although it's not a tradition of the Mid Autumn Festival in the strictest sense, watching movies is an activity that everyone loves to do. The festival brings loved ones closer and gives them ample time to rest and relax so many people opt to catch a flick after dinner to enjoy the warm feeling of being united.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
