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Discover the Fascinating World of Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions

Have you ever wondered how other countries around the globe celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival?

8 August, 2024

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, is a holiday dedicated to children in Vietnam. For the Vietnamese, this festival is incomplete without the images of Chang’e, Cuoi, and lion dances, alongside feasts with various types of sticky rice cakes, mooncakes, and baked mooncakes. Thus, Vietnamese children eagerly anticipate this festival. Let’s explore how Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in other countries and how it differs from the traditions in Vietnam.

1 Mid-Autumn Festival in South Korea

In South Korea, the Mid-Autumn Festival, known as Chuseok, is an important holiday and a day of thanksgiving. On this day, people give thanks to their ancestors for a bountiful harvest and successful farming season. Chuseok is the second biggest holiday in the country, and people usually have a three-day break to celebrate.

Mid-Autumn Festival in South Korea

Similar to Vietnam, families gather together during this festival. They wear colorful traditional clothes, and the eldest son represents the family in offering sacrifices to their ancestors. The family then dances and plays traditional games.

During Chuseok, Koreans make a type of rice cake called Songpyeon, which has a half-moon shape and various fillings. This is a must-have during the festival. While lion dances are common in Vietnam, Koreans celebrate with Talchum mask dances and the Ganggangsullae circle dance.

Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Koreans visit their ancestors’ graves to pay their respects and remember their ancestors’ contributions.

Families gather and wear colorful traditional clothes

2 Mid-Autumn Festival in China

The Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history in China, and Vietnam has also been influenced by this festival. It is considered a reunion festival, a time for Chinese families to gather and celebrate together.

Mid-Autumn Festival in China

Similar to Vietnam, the Chinese make mooncakes during this festival. The mooncakes are round, symbolizing reunion and fulfillment. The baking process and fillings, such as lotus seed paste, mung bean paste, or salted egg yolks, are also similar to Vietnamese mooncakes.

Lion dances are a distinctive feature of the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. This festival is the second most important holiday of the year, after Chinese New Year.

The second biggest holiday of the year, after Chinese New Year

3 Mid-Autumn Festival in Japan

In Japan, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called Tsukimi, or the moon-viewing festival, and it is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month every year. The traditional food for this festival is Tsukimi Dango, small, round, white dumplings that are usually offered to the moon on household altars.

Mid-Autumn Festival in Japan

During Tsukimi, Japanese children, especially boys, carry carp-shaped lanterns in a lantern parade. The carp-shaped lantern symbolizes courage.

Boys carry carp-shaped lanterns in the lantern parade

4 Mid-Autumn Festival in Thailand

In Thailand, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called “Lantern Festival” and falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. On this day, people gather around the altar of Guan Yin Bodhisattva and the Eight Immortals to pray for the best for their families, the world, and even those who have made mistakes.

Mid-Autumn Festival in Thailand

Unlike other countries, mooncakes in Thailand are shaped like peaches and are offered to the Eight Immortals and Guan Yin. Additionally, people often eat pomelos during this festival as they symbolize fulfillment, reunion, and happiness.

Thai mooncakes are shaped like peaches

5 Mid-Autumn Festival in Myanmar

The Mid-Autumn Festival in Myanmar is also known as the Full Moon Festival or the Festival of Lights. During this festival, the whole country is illuminated with lanterns, and lights shine in every corner. The mooncakes in Myanmar are similar to those in Vietnam and China, with fillings like mung bean paste and salted egg yolks.

Mid-Autumn Festival in Myanmar

6 Mid-Autumn Festival in the Philippines

Initially, the Philippines did not have a Mid-Autumn Festival, but it was introduced by a group of Chinese people who migrated there for work. However, the Philippines has developed its unique traditions for this festival, distinct from other countries. The traditional food for this occasion is a cake called Hopia, which comes in various flavors, such as mungo (mung bean), baboy (pork), and ube (purple yam).

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Filipinos also play dice games, adding excitement and liveliness to the celebration.

Mid-Autumn Festival in the Philippines

7 Mid-Autumn Festival in North Korea

The Mid-Autumn Festival in North Korea is quite similar to that in South Korea. North Koreans also visit their ancestors’ graves during this festival, but unlike South Koreans, who do so before the holiday, North Koreans visit the graves on the day of the festival itself.

The types of cakes and dances during the Mid-Autumn Festival are also considered similar in the two countries.

Mid-Autumn Festival in North Korea

We hope this article has provided you with interesting insights into how the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in different countries around the world.

Frequently asked questions

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional holiday celebrated by Vietnamese and Chinese people, among other Asian cultures. It is a time to gather with family and friends to admire the full moon, enjoy traditional foods and celebrate the abundance of the autumn harvest. The festival also has a romantic connotation, as it is often referred to as the ‘Festival of Reunion’, symbolizing completeness and unity.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is typically celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which usually falls in September or early October on the Gregorian calendar.

Mooncakes are the most iconic food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. These delicious pastries are often filled with sweet bean paste, lotus seed paste, or other savory fillings and are enjoyed and exchanged between friends and family. Other traditional foods include pomelos, watermelon seeds, and steamed buns shaped like rabbits, which are symbols of the moon. Activities during the festival include moon gazing, carrying brightly lit lanterns, dragon and lion dances, and burning incense to honor ancestors.

The full moon holds a special significance during the Mid-Autumn Festival, as it symbolizes unity, prosperity, and the gathering of loved ones. Lanterns are also an important part of the festival, as they are believed to help light the way for positive energy and ward off negative forces. The combination of the full moon and lanterns creates a beautiful and magical atmosphere during the celebrations.

While the traditional aspects of the festival are still cherished, modern celebrations often include cultural performances, music concerts, and firework displays. It is also common for people to exchange mooncakes and other gifts, and some communities organize lantern-lighting ceremonies and exhibitions. The festival is a wonderful blend of ancient traditions and contemporary celebrations, bringing people together and preserving cultural heritage.