Mid-Autumn Festival 2026 falls on Friday, 25 September 2026 — the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the full moon is at its biggest and brightest of the year. Also called the Mooncake Festival or Moon Festival, it's the second-most-important Chinese holiday after Chinese New Year.
The festival celebrates family reunion under the full moon, gratitude for the harvest, and the legend of Chang'e — the moon goddess. For Chinese calendar context, see /chinese-calendar.
Quick reference: Mid-Autumn Festival 2026
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date 2026 | Friday, 25 September 2026 |
| Chinese name | 中秋节 / 中秋節 Zhōngqiūjié |
| Lunar date | 15th day of 8th lunar month |
| Public holiday | China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea (Chuseok), Vietnam (Tết Trung Thu) |
| Iconic food | Mooncake (月饼 yuèbǐng) |
| Iconic activity | Moon viewing (赏月 shǎngyuè) |
| Next year (2027) | Wednesday, 15 September 2027 |
Why does Mid-Autumn fall on a different date each year?
The festival is anchored to the lunar calendar: it's always the 15th of the 8th lunar month. On this date, the moon is at its fullest because it perfectly opposes the Sun.
Because lunar months are ~29.5 days and the lunar year is 11 days shorter than the solar year, Mid-Autumn shifts between mid-September and early October each Gregorian year:
- 2024: 17 September
- 2025: 6 October
- 2026: 25 September
- 2027: 15 September
- 2028: 3 October
The legend of Chang'e and Houyi
The most famous Mid-Autumn legend tells of Houyi, a legendary archer who shot down 9 of 10 suns scorching the Earth, saving humanity. As a reward, he was given an elixir of immortality.
Wanting to remain with his wife Chang'e rather than ascending alone, he hid the elixir. But while he was away hunting, his apprentice tried to steal it. To prevent the theft, Chang'e drank the elixir herself — and floated up to the moon, where she became a goddess.
Each Mid-Autumn night, Houyi gazed at the moon and laid out her favorite foods as an offering. The tradition of moon-gazing and offering food continues today.
A second character on the moon is Yutu — the Jade Rabbit who pounds the elixir of immortality. (China's lunar rovers are named Yutu in this tradition.)
The mooncake (月饼)
The festival's iconic food. Round, dense pastries traditionally filled with lotus seed paste and a salted egg yolk (symbolizing the full moon). Modern variations include:
- Lotus seed with single yolk — the classic
- Lotus seed with double yolk — premium
- Red bean paste — sweeter alternative
- Five kernels (五仁) — walnut, peanut, almond, sesame, melon seeds in maltose
- Pandan / matcha / coffee / chocolate — modern flavors
- Snowskin (冰皮) — Hong Kong cold variant with mochi-like skin
- Custard — Hong Kong specialty
- Durian — Singapore / Malaysia
- Truffle / abalone / ice cream — luxury versions ($50+ per cake)
Mooncakes are heavy — typically 200-300 calories per slice. Tradition cuts them into small wedges shared among family.
Lanterns
The second iconic image: lanterns carried by children, hung outside homes, and released into the sky.
Forms include:
- Paper lanterns — traditional shapes (animals, flowers, fish)
- Modern electric lanterns — children's themed
- Sky lanterns (kongming lantern) — released into the sky (some areas ban these for fire risk)
- Floating water lanterns — released on rivers
The Lantern Festival in Hong Kong and Taiwan transforms parks into illuminated displays for the weeks around Mid-Autumn.
Celebration traditions by country
China (mainland)
- 3-day public holiday (often connected to a weekend)
- Family reunion dinners — emphasis on round foods (mooncakes, pomelo, taro)
- Gift exchange of mooncake boxes
- Public moon-viewing parties
Hong Kong & Macau
- Mid-Autumn falls on a public holiday + the day after
- Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance — UNESCO Intangible Heritage event in Causeway Bay
- Victoria Park Lantern Carnival
Taiwan
- BBQ tradition — uniquely Taiwanese, started by a 1986 BBQ sauce ad
- 3-day holiday
- Mooncakes flavored with Taiwanese ingredients (taro, sweet potato)
South Korea — Chuseok (추석)
- 3-day public holiday — one of the two biggest holidays alongside Seollal
- Songpyeon — half-moon shaped rice cakes filled with sweet beans or chestnuts
- Charye — ancestral memorial rites
- Ssireum (Korean wrestling) tournaments
Vietnam — Tết Trung Thu
- Primarily a children's festival
- Lion dances by children's groups in neighborhoods
- Bánh trung thu — Vietnamese mooncakes, more savory than Chinese
- Star-shaped lanterns
Singapore & Malaysia
- 1-day cultural celebration (not public holiday in Singapore, optional in some Malaysian states)
- Chinatown lantern displays
- Pomelo and mooncake exchanges
Japan — Tsukimi (月見)
- "Moon viewing" — quieter, more contemplative
- Tsukimi dango (rice dumplings) and susuki grass arrangements
- Moon-viewing parties at temples and gardens
What to eat besides mooncakes
The festival emphasizes round foods (symbolizing reunion):
- Pomelo (柚) — peeled and shared
- Taro — boiled or fried
- Lotus root — sliced into rings
- Pumpkin / squash — round shapes
- Hairy crab — in season around Mid-Autumn in Jiangsu
Common greetings
- Mandarin: 中秋节快乐 (Zhōngqiū jié kuàilè) — Happy Mid-Autumn Festival
- Cantonese: 中秋節快樂 (Jūng-chāu jit faai-lohk)
- Korean: 추석 잘 보내세요 (Chuseok jal bonaeseyo) — Have a good Chuseok
- Vietnamese: Chúc Tết Trung Thu vui vẻ — Happy Mid-Autumn Festival
- English: Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, Happy Moon Festival
Related references
- Chinese calendar 2026
- China 2026 holidays
- Hong Kong 2026 holidays
- South Korea 2026 holidays
- Vietnam 2026 holidays
- Moon phase today
- September 2026 calendar
Mid-Autumn Festival dates follow the Chinese lunisolar calendar. Vietnamese Tết Trung Thu can occasionally fall ±1 day from Chinese due to a different astronomical reference meridian.