Today is the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunisolar calendar, so once again it time to celebrate 中秋節 (Mid-Autumn Festival)! The festival is better known to Westerners as 月餅節 (Mooncake Festival) and is not just a Chinese festival as it is also celebrated by Koreans and Vietnamese, known to them as Ch’usǒk (秋夕) and Tết Trung Thu (節中秋) respectively.
This day is the next most important holiday after Chinese Lunar New Year and a time for family and friends to gather together, feasting on food and admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon. The main delicacy of the festival are 月餅 (mooncakes), though aside from the food, the day will also see incence burnt and offerings such as fruit and whole steamed chicken offered to the gods.
Children get to have extra fun today as they are able to play out in the street, carrying fancifully made and brightly lit laterns, taking forms such as lotus, full moon and starfruit shaped ones to more elaborate ones of animal form such as 錦鯉 (Brocade Carp, “Nishikigoi” in Japanese), goldfish, horses, tigers, roosters, deers and so on. In 香港 (Hong Kong), publics places such as 維多利亞公園 (Victoria Park) will have huge displays of laterns and take on a carnival spirit with cutural performances and games stalls.
Anyhow, enough talk from me as long too long to go till a massive feast of food and then brave the holiday crowds, hopefully getting a few decent photos of the festival celebrations! ;)