Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a vibrant harvest celebration and holiday observed across a number of Asian countries and communities worldwide. It traditionally falls on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest.
The official start of the celebrations for 2025 is Monday, October 6th. Some countries and cultures celebrate across multiple days.
A Celebration of Harvest and Family
Predominately observed in countries like China, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, the festival is a time for gratitude, reunion, and observing the bountiful autumn harvest.
While the central theme of gathering with family and loved ones is universal, each culture brings its own unique traditions, whether it's a specific emphasis on the full moon, honoring ancestors, or celebrating children.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is known by several beautiful names, reflecting the cultural diversity of its observance:
- China (Mandarin/Cantonese) | 中秋节 (Zhōngqiū Jié) / 中秋節 (Jūng-chāu Jit) (Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival, Mooncake Festival)
- Vietnam | Tết Trung Thu (Also known as the Children's Festival)
- Korea | 추석 (Chuseok) / 한가위 (Hangawi) (Often referred to as "Korean Thanksgiving")
- Japan | 月見 (Tsukimi) (Moon Viewing)
- Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan | Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival
- Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia | Lantern Festival (Note: This is distinct from the Lantern Festival that takes place in the first month of the Lunar calendar)
Festive Foods
Food is a significant element of the Mid-Autumn Festival, with specific treats that symbolize reunion and completeness:
Mooncakes are the most iconic food, widely eaten and gifted, in many communities that celebrate the "Mooncake Festival". These dense, round pastries traditionally feature rich fillings like lotus seed paste or red bean paste, often with salted duck egg yolks to represent the full moon. Modern variations include everything from ice cream to chocolate fillings.
In Vietnamese households, you may enjoy two main types of mooncakes: Bánh Dẻo, which is a sticky-soft, mochi-like pastry, and Bánh Nướng, the more common baked mooncake. Tết Trung Thu also features green rice flakes (Cốm) wrapped in lotus leaves and a colorful Five-Fruit Tray offered to ancestors.
In Korea during Chuseok, families prepare Songpyeon, small, crescent-shaped rice cakes steamed over pine needles. These are often filled with ingredients like toasted sesame seeds, chestnuts, or red bean paste. The crescent shape symbolizes future prosperity.
From all of us, we wish you a joyous and memorable Mid-Autumn Festival!
From Angelina's own culture and language, 추석 잘 보내세요! ("Have a good Chuseok!")
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The application for the Spring 2026 Graduate Student Fellowship at the Dresher Center is now live! This fellowship supports graduate students in the humanities and related disciplines who are pursuing innovative research.
Apply now and learn more on the website:
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If any students have questions about the program or application process, please contact chobson1@umbc.edu directly.
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The application for the Spring 2026 Graduate Student Fellowship at the Dresher Center is now live! This fellowship supports graduate students in the humanities and related disciplines who are...
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Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:32:46 -0400
Winter Orientation Advisors Needed
The Office for Academic & Pre-Professional Advising has openings available for Winter Orientation Advisors! Advisors meet with incoming undergraduate students VIRTUALLY during the month of January in one-on-one sessions to plan out and register for classes. No previous experience is required, and we will provide all training necessary!
Besides compensation, this is a rare chance for graduate students to gain professional and interpersonal experience. Depending on your field, your time as a student may not open you up to many client-facing interactions, and this is a pathway to gaining that experience. If you are considering a career in academia, meanwhile, advising experience is highly sought-after in faculty openings.
Advisors are eligible to be compensated at the rate of $100 per afternoon session and $50 per evening or morning session, with the opportunity to work several sessions during the month. Although there are only a few days during which help is needed in January, advisors in good standing may be invited back to participate in our much larger Summer program afterwards. Participants are also eligible to earn the Orientation Advisor microcredential! See more info here:
https://badges.umbc.edu/
Grad students on F-1 visas ARE eligible for this work and invited to apply!
We are online offering informational sessions for anyone interested or who even just MIGHT be interested in finding out about this exciting opportunity to expand their skillsets, make meaningful connections, serve their departments, and get paid! No RSVP necessary.
For additional details, see the application
HERE, which is due by October 15.
