Moon/Mid-Autumn Festival 2023 celebrations across Australia

Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is the second-largest festival in China after the Lunar New Year. It is celebrated on the 15^th day of the 8^th lunar month, which is always in the middle of the autumn season in China - coinciding with harvest time.

At this time of year, the moon is believed to be at its fullest and brightest. In Chinese culture, the full moon symbolises reunion, and as such families reunite for celebrations to worship and appreciate the moon together, and share delicious mooncakes to celebrate.

This year, it falls on September 29 in the Gregorian calendar.

Starting in China, it is now celebrated across many Asian countries including Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia and Japan.

Cities across Australia are hosting events to celebrate the Moon Festival.

According to Britannica, mooncakes are central part to the festival, as are lanterns, candles, and gazing at the full harvest moon.

They are traditionally round or square-shaped pastries with a slightly sweet thin pastry moulded around a rich filling generally made of lotus seed paste. A salted egg yolk was also added to represent the moon.

Fillings in the cakes change according to each region, but common ones include fruits and vegetables, red bean paste, white lotus seed and mixed nuts.

You don't eat one whole; they are usually cut up into halves or quarters and shared. One serving was half a cake, according to the nutrition label on the tin of mooncakes this writer bought.

They are available at numerous Asian supermarkets, specialty stores and patisseries, plus some selected chain supermarkets.

Ingredients

(Makes about four mooncakes)

You will need

Method

We thank the Chinese Museum, Melbourne, for this recipe. You can visit them at 22 Cohen Place, Melbourne VIC 3000. Visit the website here.

The Senior has lit the way to present a selection of Mid Autumn Festival events available to the general public that are happening across the country. Find your state or territory below for more information.

Darling Square is getting into the Moon Festival's spirit with a number of activities in the thoroughfare. There will be traditionally dancers (including an acrobatic lion dance performance from Jin Wu Koon) on Friday the 28^th September at 6pm. On the weekend of September 29 and 30, there will be face painting during the day, plus live music and DJs from 6-9pm. You will also receive a free lantern to decorate when you dine at Darling Square.

At the Chinese Garden of Friendship, you can roam around the venue and solve riddles attached to the lanterns, which often contain messages of wisdom and good fortune. The activity is on each day until October 8. On September 30, you can experience the magic of moon-watching and wander through the enchanted Garden during extended opening hours for one night only. Music and moonlit ceremonies will also be held.

The Chinese Museum in Melbourne is hosting Autumn Moon Festival Days on Saturday, September 30 and Sunday, October 1.

45-minute sessions starting at 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm will cover:

No bookings are required, but you need to be there at the start of the session as doors close once it starts.

You can also make your own lantern and a rabbit face mask.

Celebrity chef Elizabeth Chong will present Festival Foods on Friday, October 13, from 7.30-9.30pm. Participants can learn the origins of Chinese Festival foods, such as the Yuebing Moon Cake, the Zongzi Sticky Rice dumpling and the Tangyuan black sesame filled dumpling. Watch how they are made and sample a taste! Served with Chinese tea.

A full calendar of events at the Chinese Museum's Autumn Moon Festival Celebrations including tea ceremonies, theatre, music and art can be found here.

The Melbourne Moon Festival is being held on Saturday, September 30 at Box Hill Mall from 11am-6pm.

A vibrant Lion Dance, which was believed in the past to be a way to chase away evil spirits and evoke good luck and prosperity for the future, will be a bright and colourful highlight.

Share delicious cuisine from various stallholders and of course, enjoy the treat of a mooncake.

Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market hosted a two-day celebration at the weekend, featuring traditional mooncakes to street food, live music and interactive activities.

Brisbane's Fortitude Valley will be extra vibrant with traditional lion and dragon dances, Korean dance performances, Japanese drumming and roving acts meandering through the precinct on Saturday, September 30 from 5-7.30pm, plus lanterns of all shapes and sizes. The action will take place in Brunswick Street Mall, Chinatown Mall and throughout other Valley locations including Bakery Lane and Wickham Street.

Other highlights include a mooncake craft workshop, Korean traditional dance 'Samul Nori' and a LED Lion on bamboo pole, all at Chinatown Mall.

University of Queensland's Kew Carmody House is hosting a Mid Autumn Festival Celebration on Friday, September 29 from 6-9pm. Among the activities will be Chinese live music plus calligraphy sessions, food and mooncakes.

The University of Tasmania is hosting a Moon Festival today (September 26) in the cafe area at the Cradle Coast campus in Burnie from 10am-noon.

You can go along to celebrate with a free morning tea, tasty mooncake and decorate your own lantern.

Unfortunately the Canberra Moon Festival has been cancelled due to a funding shortage. A statement on its website said:

"The CMF has always been a cherished community event, made possible by the dedication of voluntary committee members and the generous support from local business groups. However, this year's limited funding makes it impossible to cover the increasing operational costs and venue setup expenses.

"We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming success of the 2022 CMF, and we had such high hopes for this year's celebration. Your unwavering support truly touched our hearts, and we hope to secure funding from different sources in the future to bring back this wonderful community event."

The Moon Lantern Trail at OzAsia Festival is an exciting celebration of Mid Autumn traditions and stories from across Asia.

The trail transforms the River Torrens riverbank in the city into a a vibrant display of light and sound with over a dozen giant lanterns. You can also enjoy the popular Hong Kong Dragon lantern and other fan-favourites, plus the premiere of breathtaking new lanterns, including a spectacular new water lantern by South Australian artist, Jaydenlee Tong.

A Mooncake Festival at the City Library in Rundle Mall is being held on Friday, September 29 from 5.30-6.30pm and has already sold out. Participants will be able to hear stories and history about the festival, plus poems and songs, and taste a mooncake and other traditional Chinese snacks.

Family-friendly activities will be held at a a joyous day filled with cultural delights at the Civic Amphitheatre Stage in Cannington, Perth, on Sunday, October 1 from 10am-noon.

Highlights include traditional dances to vibrant musical acts, showcasing the richness of Asian heritage; mooncake tasting; games, arts and crafts, and interactive workshops; and numerous raffles.

It's hosted by the Australian Asian Children Education and Development Association.

Kids will be entertained at the sold-out special School Holidays Mid-Autumn Festival Perth at the Hillview Intercultural Community Centre in Bentley on Wednesday, September 27 from 12.30-3.30pm.

Participants will indulge in a variety of cultural activities, including mooncake and lantern making and traditional Chinese calligraphy workshops.

The Chung Wah Society hosted a Moon Festival on Saturday, September 23. Click here for more information.