Full moons, mooncakes and lanterns in every colour: the mid-autumn festival – in pictures
The mid-autumn festival, also known as the moon festival, is a celebration of harvest and family in Chinese culture – a time to gather with relatives and friends under a full moon. During the festival, people eat mooncakes – a rich round pastry that symbolises wholeness – and display lanterns: beacons that light the path towards prosperity and good luck.
It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese calendar, when the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest, coinciding with the harvest in the middle of autumn. In 2026, it will be held on Friday 25 September
