Mid-Autumn festival is a unique festival celebrated every year in Singapore. It is one of the most popular cultural festivals celebrated in the country. Essentially, the autumn festival 2022 is a Chinese festival but is celebrated by all people.
The festival is known as the mooncake festival 2022 since traditionally people make mooncakes to celebrate the day. There are also many other things to do on this day. This guide will inform you when is mooncake festival 2022 is and also different ways to celebrate this festival.
When is Mid-Autumn Festival?
As the name suggests, the mid-autumn festival is celebrated in the autumn season. Traditionally, it is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar corresponding to a full moon. It usually occurs in September or October of every year.
If you wanted to know when the mid-autumn festival in 2022 is, the answer is Saturday, 10th September 2022. On this day people bake mooncakes and also light lanterns to celebrate the occasion. Lantern Festival 2022 is also observed on this day. While it is not a public holiday, it is a day of celebration.
5 Activities to Enjoy with your Family at Mid-Autumn Festival
Mid-autumn festival 2022 is a festival celebrated to coincide with the harvesting period. In Chinese culture, families celebrate this festival by carrying and displaying different types of lanterns. They make mooncakes, which are pastries made from different bases and fillings.
There are many activities to enjoy with your family to celebrate this joyous occasion. On mooncake Singapore 2022, participate in any of these activities or all of them to get in the spirit of the festival.
1. Enjoying a Delicious Meal with Family
The best way to celebrate the festival is a reunion with your loved ones. It is a special day of celebrations and enjoying a hearty meal with your family members would make the day more memorable. If you are living away from your parents, make an effort to celebrate this day together and appreciate the family reunion.
Since the festival is essentially a harvest festival, celebrate with harvest produce, get fresh produce from the market and prepare delicious dishes for the celebration. Some of the common dishes that are prepared for this day are duck, crab, pork, pumpkin, sweet potato, walnuts, and pomelos. Taro is another special dish that is eaten on this day. It is believed to bring good luck and wealth.
2. Gazing upon the Full Moon
The mid-autumn festival is on the night of the full moon. You must not miss out on gazing upon the full moon on this night. For hundreds of years, people look at the full moon on the festival night to mark the celebration of this day. It is believed that the moon is at its largest and brightest on this particular night. So, it would be lovely to look at the moon and spend time with your family under the moonlight.
Find a good place where you get a nice view of the moon. It can be a terrace, but in the city, buildings may block your view. Consider going out for an outing in the evening. Go to an open place where you can get a clear view of the moon. You can consider visiting the Moonstruck performance that is held at the Singapore Botanical Gardens.
3. Honouring the Full Moon
Moon worship is an ancient tradition of honouring the full moon. This is a tradition that people have forgotten and do not observe in modern times. But the mid-autumn festival is the time when you can observe this tradition with your family members. When you get together with your family to gaze at the moon, do observe this tradition.
The festival is celebrated to honour Chang ‘e who is the Moon Goddess of immortality. Take your family members outdoors to look at the moon. Spend a few minutes praying to the moon and seeking blessings from the heavenly world above. Honouring the moon allows you to reconnect with your cultural roots and hopefully one day pass this tradition down for many generations.
4. Having Mooncakes
The festival is also known as the mooncake festival. It will not be complete until you make mooncakes, offer them to the moon, and then enjoy them with your family members. Mooncakes are referred to as reunion cakes. They are one the most important aspects of celebrating this day. You can preferably make them at home. If time is an issue, then drop into any of the bakeries or stores. You will find mooncakes of different types and flavors.
Traditionally, mooncakes are made using sweet bean paste, lotus seed paste, and the yolk of an egg. Today, there are many mooncake variants that people prefer. Here are some mooncakes flavours you can consider purchasing for this occasion:
- Traditionally made ding mooncakes.
- Snowskin mooncakes.
- Chocolate truffle mooncakes.
- Hojicha matcha with raisins.
- Baked charcoal with white sesame & melon seeds
- Pineapple mustard mooncake.
5. Designing and Lighting Up the Area with Lanterns
The festival is also known as the lantern festival. It is the day when people design colourful and attractive-looking lanterns. The lanterns are lit up and carried on this day as a part of the celebration. The colourful lanterns make for a great visual spectacle. Traditionally, lanterns were made out of paper. Since there is a risk that the paper may catch fire, people nowadays prefer plastic lanterns with batteries. You can buy these lanterns or better still make them at home, dripping a bit of lemongrass essential oil will make your lantern aesthetically pleasing to the eye and nose.
If you prefer paper lanterns, you can make them at home. Use colour paper and create lanterns of different designs that look attractive. Display the lanterns as a part of the celebrations. You can join any of the parades held on that day with your lantern. The Gardens by the Bay would usually have a lantern show. You can get to view an amazing display of lanterns.
What to wear during Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-autumn festival in Singapore is a day of celebrations. It is not just locals but even visitors who join in the revels. Since it is a day of celebrations, you need to dress your best for the occasion. It is not the day to dress casually but to dress in a celebratory style. It is a special day, so bring out your special dress for the occasion.
You would most probably be inviting family and friends for a get-together. In such a case, dress to impress. If you are going out to attend parades or other events, make sure you choose your best outdoor outfit. Choose a good-looking outfit that is stylish and comfortable at the same time.
Since people would be coming home, and you have plans to enjoy this occasion elsewhere, you must have the best surgical mask in Singapore with you. The COVID virus is still around and along with it, other viruses are doing the rounds. Wear the best 3-ply surgical mask to protect yourself from any viruses in the air.
A KN95 Mask Singapore purchased from Wistech’s online store will ensure you are thoroughly protected. You can also consider the KF94 mask Singapore for protection. If you are celebrating with kids, do get the KN95 Mask Kids or the K94 Mask Kids for your children so they are also safe and secure. Make the mask a part of your outfit for the day.
Other Asian Countries Celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival
Apart from Singapore, the mid-autumn festival is celebrated in many other countries. The following presents an overview of the celebrations:
- In China, the festival is celebrated with families coming together for dinner. They worship the moon, eat mooncakes, and carry lanterns.
- South Koreans celebrate the festival as ‘Thanksgiving Day’. They have a 3-day holiday and go to their hometowns to celebrate the festival.
- In Japan, even though they don’t follow the Chinese calendar they celebrate the festival with a moon appreciation party. Rice cake is the speciality for the day.
- Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam see similar celebrations to Singapore. People celebrate with parades, lighting lanterns, and eating mooncakes.
- In Thailand, there is a belief that on this day the eight immortals visit the Bodhisattva and present him with peach cakes. People celebrate with families and eat peach cakes.
- In Hong Kong, the day after the festival is a public holiday. The fire dragon dance is a major attraction.
- Taiwan celebrates the day with a public holiday. People have barbeques with families and friends.
- The festival is celebrated by Chinese origin Americans throughout the US.
- People in Xiamen island celebrate by playing a gambling game known as Bo Bing.
Why Do People Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?
It would be interesting to know why people celebrate the mid-autumn festival. The full moon night when this festival is celebrated is believed to be the time of reunion. It is also an auspicious time for weddings since couples are blessed with conjugal happiness.
When this festival was first celebrated some 2000 years back, it was a harvest festival. People celebrated to thank the Gods for giving them a bountiful harvest. The festival also celebrates the God of Heaven by worshipping him with lanterns. Mooncakes are prepared as an offering to the moon to mark family reunions.
The Mid-autumn festival is a special day. It is when you must get together with your families and have an enjoyable celebration. Experience these activities as mentioned above and hopefully, you will have an exciting mid-autumn festival.
Don’t forget to mask up when you are celebrating this joyous occasion. Visit Wistech's facial mask website for amazing promotional deals to get yourself ready for this occasion. Enjoy and be safe on this special day.
