Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan
In Taiwan, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month and is a public holiday. It brings together family customs such as sharing mooncakes and pomelos, viewing the moon and, in modern times, barbecuing.[1][2][3]
A lunar festival and a public holiday
The festival is observed on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month. Taiwan’s Tourism Administration describes its older harvest-season observances as offerings to thank the gods for a plentiful harvest, and says the holiday has become a time for families to gather.[1][2]
Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor lists Mid-Autumn Festival among the national holidays. Under the Labor Standards Act, employees are entitled to paid leave on a national holiday that falls on a day they were scheduled to work; if they work by agreement, special wage rules apply. The Directorate-General of Personnel Administration’s work calendar covers public agencies and schools, though individual arrangements can vary.[2][3]
Customs and food in Taiwan
The moon is central to the festival’s imagery: the Tourism Administration describes moon viewing and mooncakes, which symbolize unity and togetherness. Pomelos are another familiar food; the Chinese word for pomelo sounds like a phrase meaning care or protection.[1]
Taiwan’s Tourism Administration says that traditional local observances included offerings to ancestors and Tudigong, the Earth God, in gratitude for the autumn harvest. Offerings could include ritual foods, mooncakes, pomelos and rice taro. It also notes that worship of the moon goddess was not a traditional Taiwanese folk custom.[1]
Outdoor barbecuing became popular in Taiwan from the mid-1980s, according to the Tourism Administration. Friends and relatives gather to grill, view the moon and share mooncakes and pomelos. The agency also identifies Taiwanese mooncake styles such as mung-bean pastry, pineapple cake, egg-yolk pastry and snow cake.[1]
What visitors should expect
Government offices and schools follow the official work calendar, while employees’ holiday rights are set by labor rules. Those rules also provide for a substitute day when a national holiday coincides with a worker’s statutory regular day off or rest day; the employer and employee arrange the substitute date.[2][3]
Opening hours and services vary, so check with each provider. The festival’s exact Gregorian date changes each year because it follows the lunar calendar.[1][2]
Frequently asked questions
Is Mid-Autumn Festival a public holiday in Taiwan?
When is the festival observed?
It falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, so its Gregorian date changes each year.[2]
What do people traditionally eat in Taiwan?
Mooncakes and pomelos are closely associated with the festival. Taiwan’s Tourism Administration also lists local pastries such as mung-bean pastry, pineapple cake, egg-yolk pastry and snow cake.[1]
Is barbecuing a traditional custom?
Barbecuing is a popular modern custom in Taiwan. The Tourism Administration says it began to catch on in the mid-1980s.[1]
Are banks, shops and public transport closed?
Government offices and schools follow the official calendar. Check with specific banks, shops and transport providers for holiday hours.[2]
Sources and references
Sources used for Mid-Autumn Festival in Taiwan:
- Traditional Festivals- Tourism Administration, Republic of China (Taiwan)
- 國定假日及補假- Ministry of Labor, Republic of China (Taiwan)
- Employers are required to allow their employees to take time off on holidays (national holidays) that are specified in the Labor Standards Act.- Ministry of Labor, Republic of China (Taiwan)