Mid-Autumn Festival – Food, Fun and a Full Moon.

Eleanor Wong

As we approach a time for celebration for many East Asian countries, I’m taking a look at how we can celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn festival.

This year the celebration of Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Monday 6th October; Always the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night.

A day to celebrate, give thanks and worship the moon in all it’s glory. Families gather in celebration with lanterns and watch Fire Dragon dances…..in Hong Kong the famous Tai Hang Fire Dragon dance sees a 67 metre long dragon wind it’s way through the streets, including narrow alleyways, whilst covered in burning incense sticks. What started out as a 19th Century way of warding off the plague, has now become a Mid-Autumn much loved tradition.

Food is imperative and symbolic, representing the bounty that Autumn has to offer us. Families eat and celebrate together with delicious dishes representing the joys of the season. These include many fruits; persimmons and pomegranates are in abundance. Pomelos are particularly popular for sharing or displaying. These are a South Asian fruit not dissimilar to a grapefruit. Duck is commonly enjoyed during this festival due to the long-standing belief that eating duck can bring wealth. Folklore also tells that the people under Dynasty rule centuries ago came together to bring down a corrupt leader whose name sounded like duck!

Chung Ying Cantonese Restaurant in Birmingham’s China Town offers up a whole host of amazing duck dishes.

Click here to find your favourite on their extensive menu

No Mid-Autumn festival meal is complete without the traditional Moon Cake. A cake usually round to symbolise the full moon;

Photo taken from https://www.bakewithyen.my/traditional-baked-mooncake-single-yolk-white-lotus/

A beautiful bakery item typically made with a rich filling, such as Lotus or red bean paste, all encased in sweet pastry outer crust. A savoury alternative offering would include a salted duck egg yolk in the centre. This also nods to a representation of the full moon. You’ll find these in shops, restaurants and markets consistently at this time of year.

Cities such as ours, here in Birmingham, are no stranger to giving everybody the opportunity to be included in celebrating this exciting occasion. The Chinese Festival Committee Birmingham will, once again, be hosting an extravaganza at the Birmingham Conference and Events Centre (BCEC). The event will be co-hosted by our very own Chung Ying MD – James Wong on Sunday 28th September 2025.

There will be performances throughout the day, an opportunity to purchase Moon cake and an abundance of other merchandise to help with the celebrations and an all-round fantastic family day out.

Visit this link to acquire tickets

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birmingham-mid-autumn-festival-2025-tickets-1653922720379