South Korea

Family reunion, muffins

The 15th day of August in the Korean lunar calendar is called "Autumn Evening", which is the Mid-Autumn Festival in China. Autumn evening can be said to be the most important traditional festival for Koreans in a year. It is a festival of harvest and gratitude, even more grand than the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year).

Korean autumn evening originated in China, but it has changed in the long history. People in China celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, mainly because of family reunion. Those who can't get together also pay attention to a thousand miles. Koreans celebrate autumn eve, besides family reunion, it is more important to worship their ancestors and sweep graves.

In the early morning of autumn, every household in Korea will set up new cereal, fruit wine, muffins, taro soup and various fruits to worship their ancestors. Traditionally, the eldest son in Korea inherits the orthodoxy of the family, so when worshipping ancestors in autumn, all the brothers go to the eldest brother's house to worship their ancestors. At the beginning of the ceremony, men should stand respectfully at the sacrificial table, and the eldest son of the priest's family should open the door of the house first, which means inviting the ancestors into the house. Then return to the sacrificial table, burn incense, offer flowers and wine, and lead family members to knock. When the ancestors enjoy the sacrifice, the priest should introduce the glorious deeds of the ancestors to their families, and then ask the ancestors whether they have enjoyed the sacrifice. After the ceremony, the priest led the family members to kowtow to their ancestors and send them off. After the ancestor worship ceremony, the adults will drink the wine and then begin to have a reunion breakfast.

In addition to ancestor worship, there is also the custom of sweeping graves in autumn, which is usually held one or two days before autumn, but in modern times it is often held on the same day. Because the ancestral graves of Koreans are generally on the mountains, it is called "going up the mountain" to sweep the ancestral graves. Going up the mountain in autumn is the most important thing in a year, even if there is something big, it can't be delayed.

South Korea also has a unique Mid-Autumn Festival food-muffins. Muffin is shaped like a half moon, made of rice flour, and filled with bean paste, jujube paste, etc. It is named because it is padded with pine wool during steaming. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, every family steamed food and fed each other.

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Vietnamese

Children carry carp lanterns for outing and playing

Vietnamese also celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, but children are the "masters" of the festival. That night, the children will listen to the legend about Agui. According to legend, after Gui got the fairy tree, he did not follow the fairy training and watered it with sewage. As a result, the fairy tree flew to the Moon Palace, and Gui pulled the roots by hand and was taken to the Moon Palace for punishment. At night, the lights are all on. Legend has it that there was once a carp that harmed people after it became sperm. Someone used paper to tie a carp lamp to kill the demon. Therefore, Vietnamese children have to carry carp lanterns to travel and play in the mid-autumn night, which also indicates the meaning of "jumping the dragon gate" when they grow up.

In the Mid-Autumn Festival, shops selling moon cakes are hung in red and green along the streets of Hanoi, the capital. Red lanterns with the words "Moon Cake" are hung high in front of the shops, and various brands of moon cakes are filled with shelves.

Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, lantern festivals are held all over Vietnam, and the design of lanterns is evaluated, and the winners will be rewarded. In addition, some places in Vietnam also organize lion dances during festivals. During festivals, local people sit on balconies and yards, or go out to the wild with their families, and put on moon cakes, fruits and other snacks, enjoying the moon and tasting delicious moon cakes. Children are carrying all kinds of lanterns and having fun in groups.

In recent years, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, many young people get together at home, sing and dance, or go out together to enjoy the moon, so as to enhance mutual understanding and friendship. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam, in addition to the traditional family reunion accident, is adding new connotations and is gradually favored by young people.

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Singapore

Relatives and friends exchange moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival

Singapore is a country with a vast majority of Chinese population, and has always attached great importance to the annual Mid-Autumn Festival. For Chinese in Singapore, Mid-Autumn Festival is a godsend opportunity to connect feelings and express gratitude. Friends, relatives and business partners exchange moon cakes to express greetings and wishes.

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, various residential quarters will hold Mid-Autumn Festival parties organized by some merchants, where you can taste all kinds of moon cakes and participate in interesting garden activities for free. In addition, in some Chinese settlements, dragon and lion dances, river lanterns, stilts, lantern displays and other activities will be organized.

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Malaysia

Lantern parade to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival

It is understood that the three things that Chinese in Malaysia must do during the Mid-Autumn Festival are to enjoy the moon, eat moon cakes and hold a lantern parade. Like Beijing, before the Mid-Autumn Festival, time-honored merchants from all over Malaysia launched various kinds of moon cakes. There are mooncake counters in major shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, and mooncake advertisements in newspapers and TV stations are also overwhelming.

Lantern parades will be held in some places in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Apart from dragon and lion dances, floats carrying "Chang 'e" and "Seven Fairies" roam among them, and artists and young people with bright costumes are singing and dancing, which is very lively.

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Thailand

All men, women and children should visit the moon

On August 15th, all men, women and children in Thailand should visit the moon. People sit in front of the generous table and pray, and worship Guanyin Bodhisattva and the Eight Immortals. The table is also full of delicious food such as "Shoutao" and "moon cake". According to Thai legend, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Eight Immortals will bring peaches to the Moon Palace to celebrate Guanyin's birthday, and the immortals will "bless".

Chinese overseas Chinese in Thailand have kept many Chaoshan traditions during the Mid-Autumn Festival. For example, on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, Chaoshan people will "worship the Moon Mother", burn incense and pray for Chang 'e with their families, and offer sacrifices to their ancestors first, so as to protect their children and grandchildren's longevity and well-being.

grapefruit is a must-eat fruit for Thai people in the Mid-Autumn Festival. First, grapefruit is the best season around the Mid-Autumn Festival, so it is a pity to miss it. Secondly, grapefruit is big and round, symbolizing "reunion".

In addition, moon cakes are also holiday foods, among which moon cakes stuffed with durian are rare in China. Thailand's mooncakes are more expensive as gift boxes, and a box of 4 mooncakes usually costs more than RMB 4 yuan. However, Thailand rarely sells 6 pieces in a box, because Thais think "6" is unlucky.