The Mid-Autumn Festival is a major holiday in many Asian countries. Every country has its own particular culture and traditions. This lovely occasion should be taken advantage of by children and family gatherings.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the August full moon day, is typically held from the 14th to the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. This is an occasion for family members to get together and discuss. Kids can participate in a variety of outdoor activities such as witnessing the lion dance, breaking the feast, and marching in the light parade. All of these activities share a common purpose, send messages of family love, and bring joy to children. We travel around Asia with Wanderlust Tips USA to see how other countries commemorate this unique day.
China: Mid-Autumn Festival is second-largest event of the year
The Mid-Autumn Festival is China’s second-largest event after the Lunar New Year. The brilliant lanterns in various shapes on every street are the most distinctive part of this holiday in China. On the night of the full moon in August, Chinese people also have a practice of eating mooncakes. Cakes have gotten increasingly varied, with beautiful fillings and the unique circle symbolizing completion and togetherness. Families will gather to see the full moon and make good luck wishes. People can watch a dragon dance, release sky lanterns or lanterns along the river, solve puzzles, or simply go for a walk outside.
Koreans observe Chuseok New Year
Thanksgiving Day, also known as “Chuseok New Year” in Korea, falls on the full moon day of the eighth lunar month and honors the ancestors while praying for a bountiful crop and a long life. Expats would return to their ancestral homes on this day. Sindoju or Dongdongju wine, as well as Songpyeon, a crescent moon-shaped rice cake that symbolizes the notion that every crescent moon would eventually become full, were frequently prepared and consumed by the entire family.
Japan celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival
During the Mid-Autumn Festival in Japan, the Japanese will hold a tea party and view the moon together. They avoid pies and sticky rice cakes in favor of Tsukimi Dango, a round, snow-white sticky rice cake. Moon-watching celebrations are also held at several temples and shrines in honor of this traditional event. Furthermore, because the Mid-Autumn Festival in Japan corresponds with harvest time, the Japanese plan various joyful activities to express gratitude to nature.
Photo: Sky Sea
Thais celebrate the Moon Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Thailand is known as the “moon festival,” which takes place on August 15 of the lunar month. On this day, Bat Tien is reported to send peaches to the moon to wish Guan Yin a long life. As a result, they enjoy crafting treats shaped like peaches. At the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone gathers around the shrine of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva and the Bat Tien to pray for happiness and success for themselves and their loved ones. On this day, Thais commonly devour pomelo and durian cake as a symbol of completion and reunion.
Traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam
On the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Vietnamese people typically cook a feast for their ancestors during the day. Then they meet at night to celebrate the moon. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a one-of-a-kind celebration celebrated in many Asian countries, with its main draw being colorful, joyful arts.
As Vietnamese children, nearly everyone must know moon songs to hum along with every Mid-Autumn Festival. Specifically, on this holiday, children will be able to analyze the Mid-Autumn Festival lights. These are battery-powered charming animal-shaped lights or candle-lit paper lanterns.
It is impossible to discuss the Mid-Autumn Festival without mentioning the baked mooncake. It not only has a distinct flavor, but it also holds numerous profound humanistic implications. The circular cake represents the moonlight on a full moon night, which is an image of family reunion and attachment.
Most people will flock to the streets to observe the splendor of the full moon, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon holds special significance for Vietnam, a country known for its rice cultivation. August’s full moon is the most gorgeous and wonderful time of year for the landscape. The weather is pleasant, and the moonlight illuminates each landscape at night. This is also the time for the most relaxed work, when individuals may relax and appreciate the countryside, the moon, and the universe.
Under the bright moonlight, grandparents and grownups frequently tell their children stories about the old Mid-Autumn Festival.