The Origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Zhongqiu (the Mid-Autumn), first appeared in The Book of Documents – Canon of Yao, which states: “When the constellation Xu rises at midnight, it marks the Mid-Autumn.” The festival was important mainly because it served agricultural purposes. In other words, people needed to accurately grasp the seasonal transitions of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. When the constellation Xu rises in the southern sky around 8 p.m., it signals that autumn has reached its peak. The oracle bone inscription for “autumn” depicts a grasshopper, also known as hanchu, symbolizing the arrival of autumn’s killing frost. As the grasshoppers die out, it is time for farmers to begin harvesting.

oracle bone inscriptions

Autumn symbolizes both reaping and decline; farmers must follow the rhythm of the seasons as all things begin to contract. Throughout the four seasons, in order to guide the people to work according to the proper time, emperors held grand ceremonies, and ritual sacrifices naturally held great significance. The annual autumn festival was the Mid-Autumn Festival, generally observed on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, marking the arrival of autumn. The night of the fifteenth coincides with the full moon, symbolizing completeness. People therefore designated the fifteenth day as the “Mid-Autumn Festival,” forming the tradition of this lunar date. The institution of the Mid-Autumn Festival thus emerged naturally from popular custom rather than imperial decree; it originated among the people.

As a sacrificial ceremony, offerings were essential. The main staple food of the Chinese people was grain-based, and in early times, they baked unleavened cakes made from wheat flour. These later evolved into small sweet cakes, which became the prototype of the modern mooncake. The fifteenth night of the eighth lunar month, when the moon shines full and bright, symbolizes completeness, reunion, brightness, and beauty. Thus, the ancients extended the ritual into moon worship. Since the Chinese calendar reckons the year by the sun and the months by the moon, the moon naturally held great importance. Consequently, the offering became the “mooncake,” and the festival was also called the Festival of Moon Pursuit or the Festival of Moon Worship.

The Tang dynasty marked the most significant period in the development of the Mid-Autumn Festival. During this era of national strength and prosperity, when music and dance flourished, the state held grand autumnal sacrifices on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. This imperial practice inspired people throughout the country to attach great importance to the festival. Autumn, being the season of blooming flowers, saw people infusing osmanthus blossoms into wine to make osmanthus wine. The word gui (osmanthus) is a homophone for nobility, symbolizing harmony and auspicious blessings. The Book of Rites notes, “In the mid-autumn month, care is given to the elderly,” as autumn represents maturity and the approach of decline, reminding people to care for their elders’ health. During the height of the Tang dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong (Li Longji) was said to have dreamt of entering the Moon Palace on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, after which he composed The Song of the Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Garments, further enriching the festival’s cultural connotations.

The festival was formally established as a nationwide celebration during the Northern Song dynasty, an era known for its pursuit of refined pleasures. The Mid-Autumn Festival became an occasion to promote festivity and prosperity, celebrating harvest and reunion, rivaling even the joy of the Spring Festival. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Mid-Autumn celebrations continued to flourish, solidifying the festival as a permanent and cherished tradition of the Chinese nation.

After the May Fourth Movement, the rise of admiration for Western culture led to the gradual decline of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Chinese people began celebrating Western holidays such as Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and Carnival, while traditional festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival further waned. In abandoning traditional Chinese festivals, people also distanced themselves from their own cultural heritage. In 2008, the State Council officially designated the Mid-Autumn Festival as an important public holiday, granting a day off to reaffirm and strengthen the cultural significance of traditional Chinese festivals.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival of harvest, reflection, and reason—a time to look back on the past and to plan for the future. It encourages people to reflect calmly, to find clarity in thought, and to contemplate their responsibilities and mission. It reminds individuals to face hardships with courage, to advance with determination, and to contribute their strength to the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.