In the United States, we have a few holidays and celebrations that take place during the season of fall. What holiday do you think of first when you think of fall holidays? Is it Halloween? Maybe it's Labor Day. For me, the holiday I think of first is Thanksgiving, but that might just be because I love pumpkin pie! Believe it or not, while these are all holidays that we celebrate in the U.S., they are not celebrated in the same way by people living in Hong Kong. These holidays are recognized as American events and, in place of them, Hong Kong celebrates different holidays during the fall season.
The first tradition I had the chance to observe in Hong Kong was the Mid-Autumn Festival. This celebration takes place during the full moon in the eighth month of the Chinese calendar, which occurred in September about two weeks after I arrived. The celebration is held as a thank-you to the moon goddess for providing a good harvest to the people of China. This tradition started centuries ago, when Chinese emperors offered sacrifices to the moon in hopes of ensuring a good harvest the following autumn.
