Mid-Autumn Festival 2025: What It Is, When It Happens, and How We Celebrate It With Food
- wongschinesebarry
- Aug 7
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 14
The Mid-Autumn Festival (also called the Moon Festival) is one of our favourite times of year. In 2025 it falls on Monday 6th October - the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. This harvest-time holiday is all about family reunion, gratitude, and enjoying the beauty of the full moon. As a family-run Chinese takeaway from Guangzhou now in the UK, we cherish these customs. We remember growing up lighting lanterns and sharing stories of the Moon Goddess, and we still gather around a big table late into the evening to celebrate. This long-form guide covers everything you might want to know - from ancient legends to our own family traditions, and of course the delicious foods we enjoy.
The Moon Festival’s Roots and Legends
The Mid-Autumn Festival’s history goes back thousands of years to China’s Shang dynasty. It was originally a harvest festival, giving thanks for crops and praying for good harvests to come. The bright full moon on the 15th of the 8th lunar month symbolises completeness and family unity. In fact, many poems by ancient Chinese scholars celebrate how the moon “wanes and waxes” just as our joys and sorrows come and go. A famous Song-dynasty line by Su Shi says, “People experience happiness, sorrow, reunion and separation just as the moon wanes and rounds.” We feel this deeply: as the moon grows full we feel close to distant family.
The most beloved story behind the festival is the legend of Chang’e (嫦娥), the Moon Goddess. In our family we tell it like this: long ago the earth was scorched by ten blazing suns. A hero archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of them to save the world. For his bravery he was given an elixir of immortality. But to keep the world in balance, Chang’e drank the elixir herself and ascended to the moon, leaving Hou Yi on earth. She lives there now as a beautiful goddess, often depicted with a jade rabbit that makes elixir on the moon. On Mid-Autumn night we look up at the round moon and remember Chang’e’s story. Many people say a rabbit on the moon mixes mooncakes or rice cakes - a nice way to connect with our ancestors.
There are many regional names and similar festivals – for example Japan’s Tsukimi (moon-viewing), Korea’s Chuseok, and Vietnam’s Tet Trung Thu. In Guangdong (where Guangzhou is), the festival is even called the “Mooncake Festival” (Yuèbǐng Jié). But everywhere in Chinese culture the theme is the same: family reunion and giving thanks. We talk with our relatives on video calls if we’re far apart, and we always send blessings of “shìyuán rényuán” (family harmony under the moon). Even here in the UK, on that night we pause, look at the sky, and feel connected to home.

Family Reunion and Moon Gazing
Our family has many special traditions on Mid-Autumn evening. We all gather at one big table — sometimes at home, sometimes at a favourite Chinese restaurant — as the moon rises. Family reunion is the heart of the festival. We dress up a bit for the dinner, and we might even set out small offerings for the moon. It’s common for families (especially the older generation) to worship the moon around 8:00–9:00 PM. We might light incense or candles on our balcony or in the garden, and say silent prayers for health and happiness. In Guangzhou, it was said that Mid-Autumn was actually the Moon Goddess Chang’e’s birthday, so our grandmothers would bow to the full moon and tell stories. After this, we break open the pomelo (a large citrus fruit known as shaddock) – its round shape and sweet-tart flesh are a traditional treat. In fact, Guangzhou families traditionally save the pomelo to eat after the worship. We follow that custom to this day.
We stay up late chatting, singing folk songs or playing children’s games by lantern light. The moon is brightest and roundest on this night, and we feel thankful just to be together. In Britain we often wrap up warm and go outside as soon as the moon is high, maybe in the garden or even just stepping into our street. We point out the moon’s craters to our children and recall the jade rabbit. In Chinese belief, a round mooncake (our special pastry dessert) symbolises this union – cutting it into pieces shares blessings of completeness.
Lanterns and Festive Customs
Bright lanterns are another highlight of the festival. In Guangzhou, Hong Kong and many UK Chinatowns you’ll see lantern decorations everywhere. In our family we make or buy colourful paper lanterns for the kids to carry – often in the shapes of rabbits, fish or stars. In the evening we hang them on the balcony or walk with them around the neighbourhood. The lantern light under the full moon is said to bring good luck and drive away bad spirits.
Apart from lanterns, other customs include lion dances and small fireworks in some communities, though we usually keep it simple at home. We encourage our children to sing traditional songs, or recite classic Moon Festival poems by moonlight. Some families wear autumn-coloured clothes (red and orange) to symbolize the season’s harvest. We might also prepare cassia wine or osmanthus tea – fragrant sweet drinks for the elders. But above all, the night is about warmth, light, and sharing stories of the past as the moon glows overhead.

Festival Foods and Our Menu
Food is a cornerstone of Mid-Autumn celebrations. Along with the main family dishes, there are special festive treats we look forward to:
Mooncakes: These are the iconic pastry of Mid-Autumn. Round cakes filled with sweet lotus-seed or red-bean paste, often with a salted egg yolk in the centre (representing the moon). In Guangzhou we love the classic Cantonese-style mooncakes – golden, flaky crusts with rich fillings. Modern versions include snow-skin or fruit flavours. Although our takeaway doesn’t sell mooncakes, we always include a few on the dessert table. We might buy them from a bakery or have family members send them over. Each person gets a slice as we toast to good health and togetherness.
Fruits of Autumn: After moon worship we enjoy seasonal fruits. In our family this means the “big eight” traditionally offered: pomelos (shaddocks), grapes, pomegranates, apples, pears, persimmons, melons, and oranges. Every piece symbolizes prosperity and luck. In particular, we peel pomelos in fun shapes and eat them last – the children think it’s magical. At our table this year you’ll find bowls of juicy orange wedges and sweet red pomegranate seeds to nibble alongside.
Taro and Roots: In southern China (including Guangzhou) it’s common to eat taro root on Mid-Autumn, as the word “taro” sounds like the word for “thankful” in some dialects. We often have a taro-based sweet soup or steamed taro pieces in syrup. You might see taro dumplings or taro mooncakes too. Pumpkin or sweet potato dishes may also appear, celebrating the harvest. We love our family’s warm taro-and-red-date soup as a comforting finale to dinner.
Special Dishes: To make the family meal truly festive, we cook special dishes that symbolize blessings. For example, a whole steamed chicken or fish (Grouper, Sea Bass or Carp) is often served to mean “unity” and “wealth” – we include similar items from our menu (like Salt and Pepper Whole Crab or Steamed Sea Bass). Braised abalone or mushrooms represent good fortune and longevity – our takeaway’s signature Braised Abalone with Sea Cucumber is a dish many customers order for celebratory dinners, so it’s something we proudly serve when family comes.
Even though mooncakes steal the spotlight, we also enjoy the regular favourites from our menu. Dishes that bring the family together in autumn include: succulent Char Siu (barbecue pork), crispy Sweet and Sour Chicken or Crispy Aromatic Duck, fragrant Yangzhou fried rice and Singapore noodles, and warming Wonton Soup or Hot and Sour Soup to soothe the evening chill. Green vegetable dishes like garlic stir-fried gai lan (Chinese broccoli) or Choy Sum with mushrooms add balance and freshness. You might even find dim-sum style treats like spring rolls or BBQ pork buns passed around for nibbling. We often say there’s no better way to celebrate than gathering around a table piled high with our favourite dishes – even if some are our everyday menu items, the atmosphere of the night makes them feel very special.
Mid-Autumn Celebrations in the UK
Living in Britain, we celebrate much as we did back in Guangzhou, with a few local twists. Around London, Manchester and other cities, the Chinese and broader Asian community still cherishes Mid-Autumn. London’s Chinatown, for example, is decked in hundreds of glowing red lanterns and banners (as seen above) under which people stroll and eat street food. In parks and community halls there are sometimes lantern fairs and cultural performances in September or October. But mostly, families celebrate at home.
For us, the festival is a warm reunion even in the UK climate. If the weather permits, we sit outside enjoying our takeaway meal and mooncakes, sipping jasmine tea as we admire the moon. We also use the opportunity to introduce friends to our culture – we often invite British neighbours or colleagues to join our dinner or share mooncakes, answering their curious questions. Our children might walk around with small lanterns in the street, which always draws smiles from passers-by.
Even though we live far from Guangzhou, traditions stay alive. We decorate our home with a paper lantern or a picture of Chang’e, just as our parents did. We remind each other of the festival’s meaning in Cantonese dialect: “Tung tiu sun jun” (same moon, same wish). Customers who order from us around that time often mention Mid-Autumn, and we happily help them pick dishes for their own celebrations. Some ask us how to make simple mooncakes, or what fruits to buy at the supermarket – it’s joyful to share our knowledge. After all, this festival is not just about Chinese identity, but about universal values of family and thanksgiving, which anyone can appreciate here in the UK.
A Festival of Gratitude and Togetherness
From our table to yours, we hope this guide brings you closer to the spirit of Mid-Autumn. Whether you have Chinese roots or are simply curious about this beautiful tradition, may you feel the warmth of reunion and the glow of the moon. As a family-run takeaway with deep Guangzhou roots, we send you heartfelt wishes for a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. Enjoy the mooncakes (or substitute a slice of cake in round shape!), gather with loved ones, and look up at the bright moon – and remember the blessings of unity and gratitude that this festival represents.
Let's celebrate together – call in an order or cook your own feast, and raise a cup of tea to the full moon on Monday 6th October 2025.
Zzhōngqiū jié kuài lè! (中秋节快乐 – Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)