It might still be 95 F degrees during the day in Texas, but the nights are finally getting cooler. With the passing of Autumn Equinox a few days ago, my state of mind has officially moved into Fall. Autumn has always been my favorite season ever since I was a child. Finally the stifling summer heat gives way, however slowly, to fall’s cool brisk air.In the United States, especially in the recent years, autumn is generally marked by the arrival of pumpkin spice everything, and by the time Halloween comes around, we know we are deep in the fall harvest season. For me, as a tradition I kept from growing up in Hong Kong, Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節 (zung1cau1 zit3) marks the occasion.
八月十五中秋節
“八月十五” literally means the fifteenth day of the eighth month, and we are talking about the Chinese lunisolar calendar. The moon on this day is considered the biggest and brightest of all the full moons. (Fun fact: “八月十五” is also an old Chinese slang to say “round buttocks”, implying one’s butt is as big and round as the fullest moon of the year.)
I have recently written extensively about Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節 in the inaugural issue of Modern Druid Magazine. Please head over to the magazine portal to learn more about Mid-Autumn Festival as I know and remember it.
Because space is limited in the magazine, there are many photos and videos I wasn’t able to submit. So here they are for your viewing pleasure. Make sure you read the article for the context and history of Mid-Autumn Festival.
Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance
Fire Dragon Dance ceremonies are only-in-Hong-Kong events. They are held in a few different areas of Hong Kong, but Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Ceremony is the most famous ones. I was able to witness the ceremony in person back in 2023, when the event finally resumed after hiatus during COVID.
Other well-known fire dragon dance ceremonies are held in Pok Fu Lam Village and Aberdeen Centre/Wah Fu Estate.
Lantern Carnival at Victoria Park
Victoria Park 維多利亞公園 is a public park in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong. The park is named after Queen Victoria, who has a statue in the park. It is Hong Kong’s most popular public park, with many large-scale sporting events, concerts and holiday celebrations are held on site year-around. One of the most popular Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in Hong Kong is the Lantern Carnival at Victoria Park, where large displays of lanterns are set up around the park. A huge Cantonese opera stage built with bamboo scaffolding is also erected in the park as part of the celebration, and nightly performances are held for the public.
These photos were taken in 2023, when public celebrations finally resumed after being suspended during COVID. This year (2026) there are actually two concurrent events at the park, and here’s a video of one of the events, the International Lantern Spectacular.
My Personal Celebration
As I mentioned in my article for Modern Druid Magazine, Mid-Autumn Festival was my favorite holiday growing up in Hong Kong. Mid-Autumn Festival brings up such strong sense of nostalgia for me. Behind all the festivities, the holiday is a time for family reunions and gathering of friends, may be even more so than Chinese New Year. As someone who left home at 15 and traveled thousands of miles away to start a new life, Mid-Autumn Festival is the one connection to my Hong Kong heritage I maintain. Just like many old Chinese sayings and poems said, while we may be far away from family and friends, as we all gaze at the same full moon and celebrate her beauty, we are connected in that celebration.
Mooncake is a must-eat for the festival. My favorite is the Cantonese-style with double-yolks and white lotus seed paste. When I went back to Hong Kong in 2023 it happened to be around Mid-Autumn Festival, so I was able to get some paper lanterns and a couple of paper mache rabbit lanterns. I have been treating them like some prized treasures for the past three years.
I saw a post on Instagram today that explained Mid-Autumn Festival perfectly: Beside the beautiful story of Chang’e, all the delicious food, all the amazing toys, and all the joyous festivities, the reason it is a favorite holiday for many Hong Kongers is that it is the one night the kids have legit excuses to stay up late and to play with fire. The adults have a reason to gather, eat, drink and be merry, and forget about the troubles of life for a while. In a way, it is a little bit like Halloween for children in the United States and Thanksgiving for the adults. For those of us who grew up in Hong Kong before the turn of millennia, when things were a little less restricted, the nostalgia is even stronger. Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival is no longer only for the sense of union and community, it is an attempt to return to the innocence and joyous memories of bygone days, albeit temporarily.
中秋節快樂 Happy Mid-Autumn Festival
I wish you all a blessed Mid-Autumn. May you be surrounded by your loved ones, enjoying lots of delicious food, and feel as complete and full as the bright Harvest Moon.
