中秋节中秋節
Zhōng qiū jié zung1 cau1 zit3
- When
- 15th day of the 8th lunar month
- Calendar
- Lunar calendar
Summary
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when the harvest moon is at its fullest and brightest. The second-biggest festival after the New Year, it is a time for family reunion, moon-gazing and mooncakes (月饼).
History
Moon worship at the autumn harvest is ancient, but the festival took its modern form in the Tang and Song dynasties. Its best-loved legend tells of Chang’e, who swallowed an elixir of immortality and floated up to live on the moon, where she is still gazed at each Mid-Autumn night; a folk tradition also says secret notes baked into mooncakes helped coordinate a Yuan-dynasty uprising.
What people do
Families gather to admire the full moon, light lanterns, and share mooncakes cut so that everyone holds a piece of the same circle. Regional customs include lantern parades, osmanthus wine, and in the south the fire-dragon dances.
Greetings
A common wish is 中秋节快乐 (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival), often with 月圆人团圆 — “as the moon is full, may families be whole.”
Festival idioms
- 花好月圆花好月圓 huā hǎo yuè yuán faa1 hou2 jyut6 jyun4 lit. lovely flowers, round moon (idiom); fig. everything is wonderful
- 花前月下 huā qián yuè xià faa1 cin4 jyut6 haa6 see 月下花前[yue4 xia4 hua1 qian2]
- 良辰美景 liáng chén měi jǐng loeng4 san4 mei5 ging2 fine time, beautiful scenery (idiom); everything lovely
- 把酒言欢把酒言歡 bǎ jiǔ yán huān baa2 zau2 jin4 fun1 to drink together and chat merrily
- 众星捧月眾星捧月 zhòng xīng pěng yuè zung3 sing1 pung2 jyut6 lit. all the stars cup themselves around the moon (idiom, from Analects); fig. to view sb as core figure
- 月下老人 yuè xià lǎo rén jyut6 haa6 lou5 jan4 minor divinity concerned with marriage
Public-holiday status
- Mainland China Public holiday
- Taiwan Public holiday
- Hong Kong Public holiday
- Macau Public holiday
Lunar and Western dates
| Year | Lunar date | Western date |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Mon, Oct 6, 2025 |
| 2026 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Fri, Sep 25, 2026 |
| 2027 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Wed, Sep 15, 2027 |
| 2028 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Tue, Oct 3, 2028 |
| 2029 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Sat, Sep 22, 2029 |
| 2030 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Thu, Sep 12, 2030 |
| 2031 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Wed, Oct 1, 2031 |
| 2032 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Sun, Sep 19, 2032 |
| 2033 | 15th day of the 8th lunar month | Thu, Sep 8, 2033 |