Mid-Autumn Festival

noun

Mid-Au·​tumn Festival ˈmid-ˈȯ-təm- 

variants or less commonly Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

plural Mid-Autumn Festivals also Mid-Autumn Moon Festivals

: an autumn harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture and various other East and Southeast Asian cultures

The Mid-Autumn Festival is observed by millions of people across East Asia on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.

—Chad de Guzman

It's a good month before the Mid-Autumn Festival (Sept. 10), also called the Moon Festival, is celebrated in Asian communities. But to avoid less than a full mooncake supply for the occasion, observers often gather theirs in advance.

—Florence Fabricant

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is a Chinese holiday that is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.

—Emma Loro

called also Autumn Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, Moon Festival

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above