Like every culture, Hong Kong has its own traditions. This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival falls on October 6, 2025. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is celebrated when there is a full moon at night. It's usually celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar. In Chinese culture, the full moon symbolizes family reunion. It’s an important holiday where families gather and celebrate together.
This year is special to me because it’s the first time that I’ve celebrated this holiday in China. Back in the United States, my friends and family would sometimes mention the festival, but we never really celebrated it. At the university, where I’m studying in Hong Kong, they held activities for exchange students to learn about and experience the event.
During the event, I learned about the many Mid-Autumn Festival traditions that people in Hong Kong celebrate and participate in. I joined an activity where we got to try traditional festival foods and make lanterns. I tasted different flavors of mooncakes. Mooncakes are a traditional Chinese dessert that is usually shaped like a circle to represent the moon. Inside, they have sweet fillings such as red bean paste or nuts, and savory ones like egg yolks or salted ham. I was able to try flavors I had never tasted before.
