The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival celebrated in Chinese culture, held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, which usually falls in September or early October on the Gregorian calendar. It is the second most important traditional festival in China, after Chinese New Year, and is a family day like Thanksgiving. Here are some of the most popular traditions and activities associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival:

• Having dinner together: As the Mid-Autumn Festival represents the reunion of families, families have dinner together on that night. People who dont have time to stay with their parents for the holiday try their best to go home and at least have dinner together. Therefore, there can be traffic jams, especially on the day of this festival. Every family prepares food that emphasizes the bounty of falls harvest or symbolizes good luck, including pumpkin, sweet potato, pomelos, and walnuts along with traditional celebratory foods like crab, pork, and duck.

• Eating mooncakes: Mooncakes, also known as reunion cakes, are the most representative tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival. They were originally made as offerings to the God of the Moon and later became the most important food for celebrating the festival. Mooncakes are round or square pastries with various fillings, such as lotus seed paste, red bean paste, and egg yolk.

• Appreciating the moon: In China, the Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes the family reunion, and on this day, all families will appreciate the Moon in the evening because it is the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest. People will light lanterns and sit outside to enjoy the moons beauty.

• Worshiping the moon: Moon worship is one of the most commonly implemented traditions during the Mid-Autumn Festival, especially popular among the older generation. In Chinese culture, the moon symbolizes togetherness, hence why it’s tradition to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival by having a big feast with friends or family. For those who aren’t able to be with their friends and family during the festival, they instead send celebration messages to their loved ones to show they are thinking of them.

• Giving gifts: Its very popular to give gifts to friends and relatives during the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the festival, people pay short visits to friends or relatives, taking gifts with them. They usually leave before dinnertime. This is a good time to get closer to friends and relatives. Companies also like to give a gift to every staff member.

The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years and is celebrated in many traditional ways. It is widely celebrated in the Asian American community as well[...