Along with the Dragon Boat Festival and the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a national holiday in both Taiwan and China. It originated during the Song dynasty, which lasted from the 10th to the 13th century. The festival always falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar.
In Chinese culture, the moon is a symbol of reunion, particularly family reunion. Gazing at the full moon is associated with sentiments such as homesickness and nostalgia.
Traditionally, most people in Taiwan celebrate the festival with their families. These gatherings often include a sumptuous meal. Gazing at the full moon after dinner is also a tradition, since the moon is closer and brighter than it is on any other day in the year.
In Taiwan, two popular festival foods are moon cakes and pomelos. The round moon cake pastries are often filled with red bean paste, lotus seed paste and egg yolks, though other flavors -- such as green tea, pineapple paste and even Chinese ham – are sold as well.
Over the past few years, barbecuing has been quite popular in Taiwan as a way to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival. People may be seen out on the street, in parks or rooftops cooking meat over disposable grills. However, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) says that barbecuing could pose a health hazard to humans because the smoke from burning charcoal emits carcinogens and pollutes the air. The EPA says, though, that the government will not impose a ban on barbecuing.