The Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu Jie)

One of the most cherished festivals in our community is the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (usually September). It is a time of family reunion, gratitude, and admiring the fullest moon of the year.

A Personal Family Memory
When I was a child, my grandparents would take the whole family to the rooftop of our old apartment building in Taipei. My grandmother would prepare a beautiful table with mooncakes (the traditional sweet ones filled with lotus paste and salted egg yolks), pomelos, persimmons, and tea.

As the moon rose, bright and round, my grandfather would tell us the legend of Chang’e — the goddess who flew to the moon after drinking the elixir of immortality — and how her husband Hou Yi would shoot down extra suns to save the earth. We kids would light lanterns, write wishes on them, and release them into the night sky.

The adults would talk about harvest and family blessings while we ate mooncakes and played under the moonlight. Even today, no matter where we are, our family tries to gather (or at least video call) during Mid-Autumn to eat mooncakes together and feel connected.

It’s not just about the moon — it’s about remembering our roots, expressing gratitude for the harvest, and strengthening family bonds.