What Mid-Autumn Festival is

The harvest moon festival of China, Vietnam, Korea and much of East Asia, kept on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is at its fullest and brightest.

Mooncakes, lanterns and family gatherings are the constants across all of them.

When it falls, and why the date moves

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date comes from a lunisolar calendar, which follows the moon but adds a leap month every few years to stay in step with the seasons. That is why it drifts earlier for two or three years and then jumps back.

It is grouped here under Cultural, alongside the other observances that share its calendar.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves on according to the recurrence rule described above. Calculated lunar dates remain estimates until the relevant calendar or local authority confirms them. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a duration of your own.