The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Worship Festival, Moonlight Birthday, Moon Eve, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon-Blessing Festival, Moon Goddess Festival, Moon Festival and Reunion Festival, is a traditional folk festival in China. Originating from ancient celestial worship, it evolved from the autumn moon sacrifice rituals of remote antiquity.

The early Moon Worship Festival was celebrated on the Autumn Equinox, one of the 24 solar terms in the sexagenary calendar. Later, it was moved to the 15th day of the seventh lunar month in the Xia calendar (lunar calendar). In some regions, the festival falls on the 16th day of the eighth lunar month.

The Mid-Autumn Festival can trace its roots to the pre-Qin period. It gained popularity in the Han Dynasty, took shape in the Tang Dynasty, was officially established in the Northern Song Dynasty, and flourished after the Song Dynasty. On January 1, 2008, it was designated by the State Council as an official national public holiday.

Since ancient times, people have observed customs such as moon worship, moon appreciation, moon praying, lantern making, lantern shows, riddles guessing, Mid-Autumn tree rituals, fire dragon dances, tower burning, incense divination, mooncake eating, river snail eating, sweet potato tasting, osmanthus viewing and osmanthus wine drinking. These traditions have been passed down through generations and remain vibrant to this day.

The traditional customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival are rich and varied, including the following:

1. Eating mooncakes: Eating mooncakes is one of the most widespread customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mooncakes come in many flavors and fillings, such as lotus seed paste, red bean paste and five-nut mix. Different regions and ethnic groups also have mooncakes with distinctive flavors.
2. Moon appreciation: Moon viewing is another important traditional custom. On this night, relatives and friends gather together to admire the bright moon and savour the beauty of reunion.
3. Enjoying lanterns: Admiring lanterns is also a major custom for the festival. People make or buy all kinds of lanterns to decorate their homes. Lantern parades and competitions are also held.
4. Sending longing across miles: There is a romantic custom of sending longing across miles. Couples exchange gifts like mooncakes, lanterns and roses to express their longing and best wishes for each other.

In short, the rich and diverse traditional customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival embody fine values in Chinese culture, such as reunion, gratitude and blessing. With their unique forms and meanings, these customs serve as an important way for people to get together and celebrate reunion during the festival.