The Mid-Autumn festival has been celebrated for over 3,000 years across China and was brought to Taiwan by Chinese people as they moved to the island and settled in Taiwan. The holiday is celebrated differently by Chinese and Taiwanese communities all over the world, but the main unifier is a theme of family, gift-giving and community appreciation. There are also many people that use this holiday to pray to the moon goddess, Chang’e, for things like fertility, marriage success or a good future. Nowadays, most people in Taiwan use the Moon Festival as a way to visit family, spend time barbecueing and appreciate their loved ones.
Yes, the tradition coincides with the brightest full moon in Autumn as a way to celebrate a successful harvest. Children often wear hats made of the rinds of pomelos, a popular fruit in Taiwan with a large, green shell.
