The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It 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. Here are some key things to know about the festival:

• History: The festival dates back over 3,000 years, and moon-worshipping practices began over 3,000 years ago in the Shang Dynasty. However, it was not until the early Tang Dynasty that the day was officially celebrated as a traditional festival. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mid-Autumn Festival had become one of the main folk festivals in China.

• Celebrations: The festival is an evening celebration where families gather together to light lanterns, eat mooncakes, and appreciate the round moon. The full moon is a symbol for reunion, and on this day, all families will appreciate the Moon in the evening. Families often gather to appreciate the beauty of the moon as well. The roundness of the moon represents the reunion of the family in Chinese minds. Families will have dinner together on the evening of Mid-Autumn Festival.

• Customs: The festival is celebrated differently in different regions. Some of the most popular traditional celebrations include enjoying a dinner with family, lighting paper lanterns, and sending mooncakes as gifts. Ancient Chinese emperors traditionally used the Mid-Autumn Festival to pray for the harvest, fine weather, and peace for the country. Because the harvest was tied to the moon cycle, the festival is meant to take place when the moon is at its fullest. Some rulers took it incredibly seriously - Empress Dowager Cixi (late 19th century) loved it so much she took five days out of her busy schedule every year to stage elaborate moon-worship rituals.

• Importance: The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, and its popularity is on par with that of Chinese New Year. It symbolizes the family reunion and is a time for people to express their love and best wishes to their loved ones. It is also considered a harvest festival since fruit, vegetables, and grain have been harvested by this time.

In summary, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture, where families gather together to appreciate the full moon, eat mooncakes, and enjoy each others company.