The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most important annual festivals for the Chinese people and is an official holiday. It is a day for family reunion. This lively festival takes place on the 15th day of the 8th Chinese lunar month every year. This year the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 15 by the Western calendar. The traditional food for mid-autumn festival is the moon cake which is round and symbolizes reunion.

On campus, students who are far from home may gather together sitting in the dormitory, by the Peiyang Lake, on the Peiyang Square, or taking a walk on the stadium. Many may receive moon cakes sent from their family: the stuffing inside the saccharine pastries varies from pine nuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, crystal sugar, egg yolk, bean paste, lotus seed, peanuts, almonds, fresh pork, to many other delicacies. During the festival, it is common for the Chinese to give moon cakes to their relatives and friends as presents, expressing their love and kind regards.

Full of joy and happiness, students gather together to delight in eating moon cakes, grapes or other fresh fruits, appreciating the spectacular beauty of the full moon, and greeting each other with “Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!”

At this time, some may remember the ancient legend of Chang’e, a lady who was an immortal and stayed in a palace on the moon, with an immortal hare keeping her company.