A full moon will appear on September 15. In the United States, the full moon occurring closest to the fall equinox, which this year falls on September 22, is called the Harvest Moon.
At this same time in China, and other Asian countries, a major holiday is celebrated: the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival. On Moon Festival, family and friends get together for a party, to enjoy the fruits of the year's harvest, and to gaze at the full moon.
This year Moon Festival falls on Sunday, September 14. One source states that in U.S. time zones, Moon Festival falls on Saturday, the 13th.
For good luck, Moon Festival celebrations focus on foods that are red. Favorite foods include lobster, salmon, apples, pomelo, sponge cakes (fatt koh), and in particular, moon cakes.
Moon Festival or Harvest Moon: Around the globe people are celebrating the end of summer's labor and the start of football season . . . or something like that. Make plans now to have your own full moon celebration!
Inside this tin are four moon cakes purchased at our local Asian food store. The store has a huge variety of moon cakes and the clerk helped me choose these. Of a different variety she said, "You won't like how these smell."
Accordingly, if you are new to buying moon cakes, don't be afraid to ask for help.