7 September 2022

The 2022 Mid-Autumn Festival is nearly here: see how you can celebrate

The annual Mid-Autumn Festival starts this weekend! Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, the 2022 celebration of this Chinese tradition will officially begin on Saturday 10 September.

Much like the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival holds special significance in Chinese culture. It is always held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, coinciding with the time of the year the Chinese believe the moon is at its peak size and brightness.

During this time in China, people celebrate the traditional time of harvest, give thanks for the gathering of family, and engage in prayer for future good fortune.

Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations are often marked symbolically by bright and colourful lanterns, and the making and sharing of mooncakes (pictured) – traditional round pastries filled with sweet bean paste and egg yolk. 

Similar folk festivals have also been celebrated for centuries around the world by millions of people in Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and by those of other Asian heritages.

What’s on for the 2022 Mid-Autumn Festival

• In Melbourne, you can celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at Chinatown’s Market Days, running from 4–10pm on Friday 9 and Saturday 10 September. There’ll be hawker-style stalls, a lion dance performance, plus mooncake and lantern giveaway gifts.
• Attend the Moon Lantern Festival from Saturday 10–Sunday 11 September at Melbourne’s riverside Southbank Precinct. Presented by the Asian Community of Australia in collaboration with the City of Melbourne, this free event will feature a range of cultural performances and food.
• The 30th annual Melbourne Moon Festival will run from 11am–6pm on Saturday 10 September at the Box Hill Mall (Main and Market Street). There’ll be international cuisine, lantern decorating and a full entertainment program including an opening ceremony, lion dancing, live performances and competitions.
• The free Mid-Autumn Festival 2022 Museum Open Day at Melbourne’s Chinese Museum will feature presentations on the meaning of the festival, mooncake- and lantern-making and children’s activities.
• If you’re located in or around Shanghai, register to attend the Study Melbourne Shanghai Mid-Autumn Brunch on Friday 9 September. This free event will involve a cooking demonstration of dishes, and you will learn how to make classic Melbourne brunch dishes to impress your friends and family at your next gathering! Recipes and fresh ingredients to recreate the meals will be provided.