This article is part of our Mid-Autumn Festival Family Guide. Sign up for our newsletter to receive our best activity, recipe and craft ideas before every Chinese holiday.
In ancient China, the Mid-Autumn Festival was first celebrated to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and the gifts of family. It’s one of the three big annual festivals designated for the living — the others are Chinese New Year and the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Story of Hou Yi and Chang’e
The Mid-Autumn Festival traces back to romantic folklore about the lovers Hou Yi and Chang’e. So the story goes, the skilled archer Hou Yi earned an elixir of immortality from the Jade Emperor for saving the planet, which was then suffering under the heat of 10 suns. Back home, Chang’e discovers the hidden elixir and drinks it herself, which causes her to weightlessly float to the moon. Upon landing, Chang’e coughed up the magical elixir, which then turned into a Jade Rabbit. To this day, it’s believed that Chang’e still lives on the moon, longing for her husband and trying to replicate the elixir of immortality. She’s reunited with Hou Yi, who became the God of the Sun, once a month on the 15th day when the full moon burns brightly from the force of their love.
The Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lunar Calendar
The Mid-Autumn Festival takes place on the evening of the full moon between September 8 and October 7. The holiday falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years back to the Shang Dynasty.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is arguably the second most important holiday on the Chinese calendar. It’s a harvest season festival with origins in moon worship that celebrates the turning of the seasons and life’s cycles between new and old.
The full moon is a symbol of unity and prosperity. The proximity of the fall equinox means that the moon is at its fullest and brightest, explaining why the holiday is also known simply as the Chinese Moon Festival.
When is the Mid-Autumn Festival?
The Mid-Autumn Festival takes place every year between September 8 and October 7 on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. Most Chinese workers will receive a single day off to celebrate the holiday.
Mid-Autumn Festival dates through 2026 are below.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2015 | September 27 |
| 2016 | September 15 |
| 2017 | October 4 |
| 2018 | September 24 |
| 2019 | September 13 |
| 2020 | October 1 |
| 2021 | September 21 |
| 2022 | September 10 |
| 2023 | September 29 |
| 2024 | September 17 |
| 2025 | October 6 |
| 2026 | September 25 |
Your turn! Do you have any other questions about Mid-Autumn Festival history and folklore? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!
HT: Photo by Jason Lee.
SL Rogers
Hi Wes. I was born during the Mid Autumn Festival & have not found anything that makes this particularly auspicious. Is there anything you are aware of?
S. Rogers
Wes Radez
Hi there! I’d suggest tracking down a Chinese almanac for particular insights about the day you were born! ~Wes
Joy
Thank you so much for this!!!! I desperately needed to be able to make these myself because I could never afford to make enough to do what I want to do. I teach ESL online in China. Within local groups of teachers, we have Meet-ups. I remembered how much the kids loved and talked about mooncakes last year. It seemed to me like the kids were more excited about the mooncakes than they were in Chinese New Year. I decided to schedule a special Meet-up on Mid-Autumn Festival and then expanded the idea of opening it to anyone in the community. Just outside of our town, on the road that goes across the Ortega Mountains from Lake Elsinore to Orange County, the road begins with a steep upward climb. Next, you see the Lighthouse Roadside Restaurant (closed in the evenings) with a HUGE parking lot that overlooks the whole valley. Many people go up there in the evenings just for the view. It is a spectacular view with city lights twinkling around the lake. “Mid-Autumn Mooncakes on the Mountain” is what I have named this event. I have great dreams for this but no idea how it will actually turn out. I thought it would be great for families of Chinese descent (who otherwise might feel isolated and alone) to experience a community honoring their traditions in wonderful surroundings. And perhaps, to bring some cultural awareness to our community. I remember from when I was in elementary school how to make simple Chinese lanterns out of construction paper. If I can find those Nerf archery sets I think it would be fun to put up some helium balloons and let the kids fire Nerf arrows at them. Wish me luck in pulling this off.
Wes Radez
Thanks for writing and good luck with your event, Joy! ~Wes