Time & Location
Sep 23, 2023, 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Chicago, 2131 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60616, USA
About the Event
The History of The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival (simplified Chinese: 中秋节; traditional Chinese: 中秋節) also known as Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a traditional festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian people. It is the second-most important holiday after Chinese New Year with a history dating back 3,000 years, when China's emperors worshipped the moon for bountiful harvests. The celebration is called Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) in Vietnam, Chuseok (autumn eve) in Korea, and Tsukimi (moon-viewing) in Japan.
The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night, corresponding to mid-September to early October of the Gregorian calendar. On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of Autumn.
Lanterns of all size and shapes, are carried and displayed – symbolic beacons that light people's path to prosperity and good fortune. Mooncakes, a rich pastry typically filled with sweet-bean or lotus-seed paste, are traditionally eaten during this festival.