The Mid-Autumn Festival in Singapore is just around the corner – on the 17th September! You can expect beautiful lanterns across Chinatown, loads of delish mooncakes to get your hands on, and much more. Here’s the lowdown on the Mid-Autumn festival celebrations, origins and some fun things to do this year.
What’s the Mid-Autumn festival all about?
The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month in the Chinese calendar. It traditionally marks and celebrates the end of the Autumn harvest. There are lots of legends surrounding this cultural festival. One of the most popular ones is the following tale of famous archer Hou Yi and his beautiful wife Chang’E.
Ten suns are said to have existed in ancient times, making the heat on earth unbearable. Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns. For his bravery, a goddess gave him a magical elixir of immortality.
In order to protect the elixir from being stolen, Chang’E swallowed it. This caused her to fly to the moon, where she has remained forever. In her honour, people eat mooncakes and look at the moon in hopes of seeing her.
Another popular story behind the origins of mooncakes takes place during the Yuan Dynasty. The Han Chinese used the sweet treats to hide secret messages as part of their plan to overthrow the Mongols who were ruling at the time. From that moment, the Chinese have baked and eaten mooncakes to commemorate the event during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
What Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations are there?
The festival was traditionally a thanksgiving celebration, with families gathering to eat mooncakes and admire the full moon during the Autumn harvest. Moon worship also played a part in the festivities; food was offered to the moon, and lanterns were carried to symbolise its light. However, in modern times, some of these traditions have become less common – the focus is more on the mooncakes. (You probably already know how fancy and creative they can get!) The tradition of gifting mooncakes is still prevalent in Singapore, though some families still enjoy carrying lanterns during the festival – mainly for the kids!
Mid-Autumn Festival Things to do
Celebrating Mid-Autumn Across Generations – street light-up at Chinatown
Catch the annual Mid-Autumn Festival street light-up from 30 August to 2 October. The opening ceremony on the same day starts at 6pm at Kreta Ayer Square. The lights span from New Bridge Road to Upper Cross Street. Besides a spectacular display of lanterns and lighted sculptures along Chinatown streets, this year will also include a bustling food fair on Smith Street and stage performances at Kreta Ayer Square. There’s also a festive fair from 19 August to 17 September at People’s Park Complex and a lantern painting competition on 25 August at Chinatown Point. Bring the children for a lantern walk from Chinatown Point to Kreta Ayer Square at 7pm on 14 September or head to Kreta Ayer Square at the same time to solve lantern riddles. For the full programme line-up, head to the Chinatown Festivals website.
Family Fun at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC)
From 6 to 8 September, SCCC and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra are co-hosting their annual mid-autumn festival celebrations. There will be a light installation of giant mooncakes representing different Chinese dialect groups on the roof garden. Over the three days, visitors can participate in over 21 family-friendly activities including taking photos, watch ticketed and free stage performances, lantern walks, try different mooncakes and teas, and moon gaze. There are also various freebies given out, while stocks last, from 1pm to 7pm on 7 and 8 September. Timings and locations within SCCC can be found on their website.
Lights by the Lake at Jurong Lake Gardens
Starting from 6.30pm on 8 September, Jurong Lake Gardens will host its annual 15-day Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. The ever-popular floating lanterns are joined this year by new designs inspired by origami, all crafted by expert lantern makers. Look out for light and projection mapping shows, a range of cultural performances and live music by local artists performing both Mandarin and English songs as well as lantern riddles. On 14 September, grab a picnic and join in for Moonlit Melodies at the the 21st edition of Rockestra, which is NParks’ Concert Series in the Park. There are also daily movie screenings from 15 to 22 September. More details available on the NParks website.
Wan Qing Mid-Autumn Festival Singapore at Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall
The Memorial Hall will be closing from 16 September until 2027 for restoration works and a revamp of its gallery. Before that, it will hold its 10th annual celebration for mid-autumn, starting with its lantern installation on its lawn. From 20 August to 15 September, legendary characters associated with the Mid-Autumn Festival will cover the largest area of the Memorial Hall’s premises. Visitors will also be able to capture memories dressed in the Chinese traditional wear called hanfu, embark on a mystery puzzle adventure set in the galleries, and catch an original skit by local playwright Teo Pei Si inspired by the Memorial Hall. Updates can be found on the Facebook page.
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