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Mid-Autumn Festival begins today, celebrated by numerous Asian cultures. It’s the second-biggest event on the Chinese lunar calendar, after Lunar New Year. The event falls on the 15th day of the eight month on the lunar calendar, when the full moon is said to be the brightest.
The full moon signifies family reunions and the fulfillment of good wishes. By sharing mooncakes baked to resemble the shape and color of a full moon, the blessing of future fulfilments and good luck is shared between family and friends, who gather to gaze at the moon and light lanterns.
On Tuesday in Chinatown, in a plaza decked out with strings of red lanterns, Egan Lai said he planned to celebrate Mid-Autumn by enjoying traditional festivities, especially one in particular.
“I plan to eat mooncakes and have dinner and go look at the moon, because it’ll be round,” said Lai, whose family is from Taiwan.
The annual festival began in China over 2,000 years ago, meant to celebrate the year’s harvest.
Jun, from Singapore, came to L.A.’s Chinatown on Tuesday specifically to buy mooncakes. She celebrates the festival mainly as a chance to spend time with her family.
“I know in the past, it’s supposed to be about the harvest, and how like celebrating a good harvest, but nowadays, everyone’s like, it’s a modern society, and we just celebrate coming together,” she said.
The festival lasts for the next three days, with public celebrations in many of Los Angeles’ Asian American communities. If you can’t make it to one of these, you can still appreciate the full moon — with a moon cake.