The Mid-autumn festival is Friday, September 29, or the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. A celebration to mark the halfway point of the fall season, the holiday is essentially a harvest festival and day for people to admire the moon, when it shines brightest and closest to the earth.
Roughly corresponding to Thanksgiving, the festival is also designated as a time for coming together to renew ties and eat moon cakes, a small, rich pastry with various kinds of fillings. Typically, these include red bean or brown date paste, lotus seed or chestnut spread, cooked egg yolks, and mixed seeds and nuts.
In addition, some people may also present pomelo, persimmon, tangerines, apples, and other propitious offerings to friends and relatives. The circular shape of the fruits and cakes symbolizes the radiant full moon and evokes family unity.
While the Mid-autumn rite originated in China in ancient times, different versions of the tradition have carried over into present-day Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. This widespread diffusion across cultures has broad appeal and expands interest among communities in many parts of the world.