Mid-Autumn Festival in Malaysia

Malaysia is a country where you will find different cultures living in harmony. Different cultures have their festivals, and you will find them celebrated here. One such festival you must check out is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?

The Mid-Autumn Festival, popularly known as the Mooncake Festival, is a traditional Chinese ceremony that people started to celebrate after the autumn harvest to thank the Gods over 2000 years ago. Many believe the day is auspicious for weddings, and the moon goddess blesses couples. 

It is celebrated by participating in a lantern parade while enjoying delicious mooncakes under the full moon. Matchmaking is also a part of the celebrations. The autumn festival brings people together. The festivities include old and new traditions, making and eating delicious mooncakes.

When is the Mid-Autumn Festival 2021?

This year, the mid-autumn fest falls on the fifteenth day of the 8th month on the lunar calendar. As per the Gregorian calendar, it is on September 21, 2021. Though the main day of the Chinese mooncake festival is on the 21st, the celebrations for this beautiful festival usually begin weeks before. 

Traditions related to the Mooncake Festival

The traditions connected with the mid-autumn festival are –

• Eat Mooncakes

Mooncakes are the central part of this beautiful festival, so eating this delicacy is a must. You will find various types of mooncakes- both creative and traditional Chinese mooncakes, available for sale at malls, local stores, hotels, and supermarkets. The most popular mooncake to check out during this festival is the snow-skin mooncakes with durian filling. Since this dish is an important part of the mid-autumn festival, many hotels host mooncake tasting events where you could enjoy the celebrations and themes.

• Family Reunion Dinner

During the mooncake festival, all family members get together and have dinner that involves delicious food and desserts. 

• Hang Festival Lanterns

Hanging colourful lanterns to enrich the atmosphere and light up the sky is a must during this festival. When in Malaysia during the festival, you will see streets lit with these lanterns and dragon decorations, enhancing the festival spirit.

Popular Places to Visit for Mooncake Festival

If you are in Malaysia during the mid-autumn festival, do not forget to check out these places:

• Thean Hou Temple

The first place you must check out during the mooncake festival is the iconic temple of Kuala Lumpur, the Thean Hou Temple. The temple is responsible for hosting the festival every year and is adorned with brightly lit mid-autumn festival lanterns. This place is surely going to leave you star-struck. 

It is around 41 kilometres away, and you can take a direct bus from the airport to KL Sentral. You can easily book affordable bus tickets online on redBus. From KL Sentral, you can take a taxi to the destination. 

• Penang

Penang is one of the best places to experience the Chinese culture in Malaysia. Therefore, it is also the place to go-to for the mid-autumn festival. From mooncake tasting to dragon and lion dances, many locations within the state like Butterworth, Nibong Tebal, Kepala Batas hold grand celebrations. However, you should visit Georgetown if you want to see the mid-autumn festival decorations and lantern parades. 

You can take a bus from Kuala Lumpur to Penang. Buses will connect you to different parts of the state.  

• Check out the mall events

Another way to enjoy the festivities is via the various mid-autumn festival events at malls. You will find artistic decorations, beautiful lanterns, delicious mooncakes, music and dance performances in the popular shopping malls. 

The mooncake or lantern festival is an important day for the Chinese community. It is one of the festivals that you must see when you are in Malaysia. You can book bus tickets online to reach different places to witness the celebrations.

You may be interested in – Durian – The King of Malaysian Fruits