September 21, 2021.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is an important traditional festival in the Chinese cultural circle. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year, approximately from September to early October in the Gregorian calendar. According to the lunar calendar, August is the second month of autumn. It was called Zhongqiu in ancient China, so it is also called Mid-Autumn Festival among the people. It is also called Qiuxi, August Festival, August Half, Moon Eve, Moon Festival, and Fifteenth Night. One of the four major traditional festivals.

The Mid-Autumn Festival began in the early Tang Dynasty, became popular in the Song Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has become one of the traditional Chinese festivals as famous as the Spring Festival. Influenced by Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival in some countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially the local Chinese and overseas Chinese.

Origin:

The Mid-Autumn Festival first appeared in "Book of Rites of the Zhou Dynasty". "Book of Rites·Yue Ling" says: "The moon of Mid-Autumn is used to nourish the elderly and eat rice porridge.", It is also mentioned that there is an activity to worship the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but it does not specify which day in August it is.

After the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival became a festival for kings to reward their ministers. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a major traditional festival in China. "Zhengde Jiangning County Chronicle" records: "On Mid-Autumn Festival night, Nanjing people will admire the moon. Family appreciation of the moon is called 'celebrating reunion', sitting together and drinking together is called 'full moon', and traveling to the market is called 'walking around the moon'".