Happy Mid-Autumn, Chuseok, Trung Thu, Tsukimi!
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a beautiful harvest celebration and holiday observed across several 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 2026 is Friday, September 25. Some countries and cultures celebrate across multiple days. For many countries, these days are national holidays filled with food, travel, and time with loved ones.
A Celebration of Harvest and Family
Predominantly 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.
As time has evolved, so have traditions and the aspect of gathering. For some within the diaspora, this time of year may still mean traveling far and wide to be with family, engaging in ancestral rites, cleaning off family plots, or honoring spiritual practices/rituals. For others, this time of year may mean gathering with loved ones and chosen family by sharing a beautiful meal or playing games. As many members of our UMBC community celebrate the Autumn Harvest Festival, we invite you to learn more about these practices and beliefs.
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)
- 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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
Are you interested in trying mooncakes and learning Cantonese? Join the Cantonese Club and Asian Studies for their Mid-Autumn Harvest Festival event.
From the Mosaic Center, we wish you a joyous and memorable Mid-Autumn Festival!
From Angelina's own culture and language, 추석 잘 보내세요! ("Have a good Chuseok!")
The Mosaic Center is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy.
Header and embedded image originally created by Paper and Rice Co.