It’s Fall, Y’all will be taking a look at autumn traditions from around the world in our monthly “Falling for Tradition” piece. Please enjoy our second installation, below.

As we already know, not every country celebrates fall the same way. In America, Halloween gives children an excuse to eat excessive candy and Thanksgiving brings the family together around the dinner table.

Last month, we discussed two of Ireland’s autumn celebrations, Samhain and the last harvest. This month, we will be discussing a fall tradition from China.

Holiday: Mid-Autumn Festival/ Moon Festival
Traditions: family dinner, flying lanterns, honoring the moon
Month: September or early October

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a five-day long tradition celebrated all across China on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Lunar calendar, characterized by family reunions, eating pastries called mooncakes and flying lanterns. It is the country’s second most important holiday, right after Lunar New Year.

It originated from moon worshipping that began over 3,000 years ago. Over time, people in China came to believe in a god or goddess of the moon.

For many years in ancient China, emperors would worship the moon at around the same time every year, with the belief that doing so would bring them and their country a good harvest for the next year. Eventually, emperors also started offering sacrifices to the moon goddess, as well.

By the Tang Dynasty, which lasted from 618 to 906 C.E., moon gazing became a popular pastime among members of the upper class. Wealthy merchants and officials, following the example set by the emperor, began holding parties to appreciate the moon with music, drink and dance.

At some point during the Song Dynasty, from 960 to 1279 C.E., the Mid-Autumn Festival, also called the Moon Festival, was established. It was at this point that non-wealthy Chinese citizens began doing more than prayer to celebrate the moon.

In 2008, the government made it an official public holiday, and people have off from work and school for the festival.

Many of the original traditions of the holiday have been slipping away, especially in large cities where many people are either in school away from their families or are busy with work. In smaller rural areas, however, people try to keep the old customs alive.

One key tradition that is becoming less and less popular is worshipping the moon. Traditionally, people would place tables with offerings — like peaches, watermelons and mooncakes — near a window or outside their homes.

Then, each member of the family would kowtow, or kneel so far down that one’s forehead touches the ground, one by one and pray for blessings from the moon god.

Occasionally this will be done outdoors in cities, but more so as a street performance than an act of worship or prayer.

A tradition that still seems to be continuing is the making and lighting of paper lanterns. People will make colorful lanterns and then hang them in trees, houses or parks, or leave them to float in rivers. 

Kongming lanterns, which are the kind of lanterns that can fly, are also made, and children will often write wishes on them before lighting them and sending them off.

Another custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival is to watch the tide of the Qiantang River for people in the Zhejiang province, presumably since ocean currents and tides are linked to the moon phases.

In the past, people would also eat small river snails as part of the celebration, since it was believed that doing so would make your vision clearer. Nowadays, people don’t just go and pluck snails out of riverbeds, but in Guangzhou many people eat fried snails for dinner during the festival.

Speaking of food eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is customary for people to drink Osmanthus flower fragranced wine or give it as a gift, since these flowers bloom in autumn.

The wine is sweet, and drinking it implies wealth and prosperity.

Mooncakes are also a popular food during the festival and they have become famous in other parts of the world, including America. They are round pastries that are filled with a thick filling and that have a design baked into the top of the crust.

Due to their association with the moon and the festival, they have become regarded as a delicacy. Mooncakes are also eaten in many other East Asian countries, but they originated in China.

Possibly the most important Mid-Autumn Festival tradition that is being done less is the family dinner. Many people nowadays are opting to go shopping, traveling or hanging out with their friends, instead of spending time with family, especially in the cities.