Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival

Occasions are an excuse for you to rejoice and celebrate happiness with your friends and family members. Sweets, chocolates, gifts, and allowance from your grandparents are what completes a festival and makes it wholesome. The beauty of celebrating any festival lies in the people you surround yourself with, the precious moments engendered by the happiness of being together on a special occasion. 

One such beautiful occasion is the Mid Autumn festival. This festival is celebrated widely across the world and especially in China. Also known as “Moon festival” or “Mooncake Festival”, this day is one of the most important holidays in China. It is highly regarded as the second most important day in China after the Chinese New year. Mid-autumn is just like Thanksgiving when families get together and have a great time. If you have never heard of this day before, let’s quickly dive into it in depth. 

What is the Mid Autumn Festival?

Mid-autumn is a festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian people across the world. It is widely celebrated in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. It is considered to be one of the most special holidays in China. Some even believe that the mid-autumn festival has been around for over 1000 years. This festival is celebrated in many different ways across different countries. It is also referred to as “Thanksgiving day” in South Korea, where people celebrate this festival by sending gifts and sweets to their friends and relatives. 

Fun fact: The Mid-Autumn Festival was once celebrated as Valentine’s Day in china. During the ancient times, singles were used to pray to the “Old man in the moon”, a divine spirit regarded as a God who unites people in marriage. People used to pray on this day to find love and get married soon.

Mid-Autumn Festival tradition

As we have mentioned above, this occasion has great significance across the world and is widely observed by many countries. The mid-autumn festival has its way of being commemorated and people follow unique customs to mark this pious occasion. The main emphasis during celebrations of this special day has been put on being grateful and reuniting with your dear ones. 

1. The moon

The moon is the greatest and most special symbol of this day. It is believed that the bright, full moon reminds people of their hometowns and loved ones. To mark the advent of this day, people also gather in ceremonies to welcome the full moon. This moon gazing tradition has been going on since the Zhou dynasty. 

If you want to celebrate this occasion with your family following the customs, do not forget to go outdoors and appreciate the moon. 

2. Reunion

Nowadays, nobody has time to get together often and spend time together. Festivals like the Chinese New Year and Mid Autumn are the only times when families reunite and celebrate the occasion with love and happiness. 

3. Mooncake

Mooncake
Mooncake

You must have heard a lot about Mooncakes whenever it comes to the mid-autumn festival and also the fact that this festival is also known as mooncake festival. Let’s get a better understanding over what is the connection between the moon and the mooncake. 

4. Decorations

Decorations are a big hit when it comes to festivals, the same is the case with mid-autumn. People go out and buy decorative items, lighting, and lanterns to decorate their houses. Without decorations, the celebrations will be boring. 

These are some traditional practices which are followed by people to celebrate this occasion wholeheartedly. 

Why do we eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn celebrations?

Just like eating a turkey on Thanksgiving and a Christmas cake on Christmas, eating the mooncake with friends and family is one of the most important traditions of the mid-autumn festival. Although there are many other traditional practices related to the mid-autumn festival, eating the mooncake has been the most fun one. The symbolic idea behind the mooncake eating tradition is that mooncakes are believed to depict the reunion of a family with their roundness and family members cut the pieces of the mooncake and share it. 

The story behind the Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival, also famously known as the Yuan Xiao Festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, in China and other Asian countries. The lantern festival goes back 2000 years ago (During the Han Dynasty 202 BC – 220 AD) when Buddhism came into existence in China. The legend behind the celebration of this festival is a great story of a village constantly attacked by the Jade emperor after villagers killed his favorite crane. 

The villagers then took it upon themselves to get rid of the Jade emperor. They hung a lot of lanterns outside their houses to make it look like the village was on fire from far away. This tricked the Jade emperor into thinking that the village was already on fire and he refrained from going back there to destroy the village by burning it. 

1. Mid Autumn gifts

Special occasions are celebrated by sharing love and joy. That love is usually shared in the form of hugs, kisses, and gifts. Gifts are a great way of expressing your adoration for someone and making them feel happy to have you in their life. Mid-autumn is also celebrated by exchanging gifts with one another and displaying affection for each other. If you are also looking to celebrate this moon festival with your loved ones wholeheartedly, you can purchase any of the mid-autumn gift options shared below.

  • Mid-Autumn gift set: This beautiful Mid-Autumn Gift Set Consists of Former double swallow bird’s nest with Ginseng, White Fungus & Rock sugar (70ML)(2 bottles), See Lian Cake Shop’s White Lotus Paste with Single Yolk Mooncake (4pcs). This set has all the right things to make your loved ones happy.  
  • Blessed Mid Autumn: Deli-Swallow Bird’s Nest w/ White Fungus & Rock Sugar (70ML) (3 bottles), Old Seng Chong’s White Lotus Paste with Yolk Blend Mooncake (1pc) & White Lotus Paste with Pumpkin Seeds Mooncake (1pc). It is what everything will need from you for this Mid-Autumn.
  • Moon Gazing: This Mid-Autumn Gift Set Consists of Old Seng Chong’s White Lotus Paste with Yolk Blend Mooncake (2pcs) & Lotus Paste with Yolk Blend & Pumpkin Seeds Mooncake (2pcs). A special gift set for your special friends and family members. Gift this in Mid-Autumn and make them feel blessed to have you in their lives.
  • Once in a blue moon reunion: This wholesome Mid Autumn Gift Set Consists of Old Seng Chong’s White Lotus Paste with Yolk Blend Mooncake (2pcs) & White Lotus Paste with Pumpkin Seeds Mooncake (2pcs). Isn’t this the most perfect gift hamper? With so many delightful items to enjoy. 
  • MoonCake delight: This Mid Autumn Gift Set Consists of Old Seng Chong’s White Lotus Paste with Yolk Blend Mooncake (2pcs) & White Lotus Paste with Pumpkin Seeds Mooncake (2pcs). A splendid one-way route to the heart of your friends and family members. 

These mooncake festival gifts are not just some ordinary gifts, they hold the key to your loved one’s hearts and the path for a wholesome and delightful Mid-Autumn festival. Giving these beautiful and thoughtful gifts will surely make them feel special and loved. You can also check out more such amazing gift hampers on FlowerAdvisor where you do the selecting and we take care of delivering the best service possible through our efficient gift delivery in Singapore and overseas. 

How is the Mooncake Festival celebrated in Singapore & China?

As this special occasion is widely celebrated in many countries across Asia, it has a great significance when it comes to Singapore as well. With a large number of individuals from the Chinese community residing in the country, the Mid-Autumn is highly regarded to be special there as well. People mark this day by sending greetings and gifts to family, friends, and colleagues. They express their gratitude towards each other by sending mooncakes as well. We have mentioned a few activities which are carried out during the celebrations of this special day in Singapore. 

Hanging Lanterns
Hanging Lanterns
  • Hanging lanterns: In Singapore, the children are also given the task of hanging lanterns on their balconies. Throughout Singapore, colorful lanterns are put up many weeks before the MoonCake festival and even the most celebrated lantern fair is held by the Singapore River during the festival. 
  • Going out: It is imperative for Singaporeans to wander in the markets to enjoy the lantern decorations and amazing stalls at night. The nights are usually spent strolling through the decorated markets and doing the traditional activities. Dragon parade, lantern walk and street plays are one of the main attractions of the streets at night. 

There are many other practices which are followed by Singaporeans to commemorate this special day. Seashore parties to appreciate the moon, lantern painting competitions and cartoon theme shows are also one of the most intriguing attractions.  

In China, this day is considered to be the second most prominent day after the Chinese New Year which is the most significant festival in the Chinese culture. People around the country visit their families and reunite to mark the festival. Gift delivery Singapore are exchanged to share love among each other and many people also plan out amazing things to do with their families such as going to dinners, throwing a party, doing traditional activities, etc. 

How to exchange greetings for the Mid-Autumn festival? 

Lantern Festival
Lantern Festival

Since we have pretty much elucidated this whole special day, it’d be absurd not to talk about the greetings for this pious festival. In China and pretty much every other Asian country, holy days are a subject of pride and joy for everyone, which is why they are celebrated wholeheartedly by exchanging warm greetings. Let’s have a look at a few greetings which you can use to wish a Happy Mid-Autumn 2021 to your friends and family. 

  • yuàn nǐ dě shēng huó xiàng shí wǔ dě yuè liàng yí yàng, yuán yuán mǎn mǎn: Wish for your life to always be satisfactory just as the roundest moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival. 
  • zhōng qiū jiā jié zhī jì, yuàn nǐ dě shēng huó chōng mǎn huān lè, xī xiǎng shì chéng: On Mid-Autumn Day, may your life always be filled with happy times and may all your wishes come true.
  • zhōng qiū jiā jiē míng yuè yuán, liáng chén jiā jiē yuè bǐng tián, zhōng qiū jiā jiē píng ān kuài lè: The moon is bright, the moon cake is sweet, and may you enjoy a happy and safe Mid-Autumn Festival
  • zhōng qiū jiē dào le, qí yuè sòng fú sī niàn tǎng, zhēn xīn péng yǒu qíng yì zhǎng, zhōng xīn zhù yuàn nǐ huā hǎo yuè yuán rén ān kāng, chūn huá qiū shí jiā jí xiáng: During this Mid-Autumn Festival time, the bright, full moon wishes you many blessings, sincere and long-lasting friendship, and always good fortune in the future.
  • Dàn yuàn rén chángjiǔ, qiānlǐ gòng chánjuān: Wishing us a long life to share the graceful moonlight, though thousands of miles apart.
  • Hàoyuè shǎnshuò, xīngguāng shǎnyào, zhōngqiū jiājié, měimǎn kuàilè!: A bright moon and stars twinkle and shine. Wishing you a merry Mid-Autumn Festival, bliss, and happiness.
  • Zhù nǐ hé nǐ de jiārén zhōngqiū kuàilè: Wish you and your family a happy Mid-Autumn Festival

These were a few mid autumn greetings which you can use to wish your friends and family on this beautiful festival. 

Occasions are not just an escape from your hectic life or an excuse for an office leave, they are an excuse to celebrate love and reunite with your family. Amid these times when people do not even bother to ask their family members about their lives and focus on their only, these occasions help everybody to catch up on each other’s lives. 

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