Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung thu): lanterns, the feast and family reunion
The full moon of the eighth lunar month is Tết Trung thu, a time for families to gather and a festival for children. Lanterns, lion dances, the feast, offerings and the next three dates.
On the full moon of the eighth lunar month, children carry lanterns around the neighbourhood, lion-dance drums sound from the end of the lane, and the whole family sits down around a festive tray. This is Tết Trung thu, the Mid-Autumn Festival.
When it falls
Tết Trung thu is the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. The next three dates, in Vietnam time:
| Lunar year | Lunar date | Solar date |
|---|---|---|
| Đinh Mùi | 15/8 | Wednesday, 15 September 2027 |
| Mậu Thân | 15/8 | Tuesday, 3 October 2028 |
| Kỷ Dậu | 15/8 | Saturday, 22 September 2029 |
How the full-moon day is worked out is covered in Rằm and mùng một.
Meaning
- A festival for children. In Vietnam, Trung thu has increasingly become a festival for children.
- Reunion. It is also a time for families to come together.
Common customs
- Lantern processions. Children carry lanterns and go out to play on the full-moon night.
- Lion dances. Lion-dance troupes perform through the streets and villages.
- Phá cỗ. Children share the Mid-Autumn feast together.
- Offerings to the ancestors. Many families set out an offering tray for their ancestors.
Common offerings
- Mooncakes: baked (bánh nướng) and soft sticky-rice (bánh dẻo).
- Seasonal fruit.
Festivals in Qelunai
The month view in Qelunai shows the lunar date and solar term of every day, worked out in Vietnam time right on your phone. In the next update, the calendar will mark traditional festivals, with a Festival section in Day details and an optional reminder one day before (off by default). To look up the lunar date of any day, use the Lunar calendar page.
Sources
Articles are cultural reference, not professional advice. Illustrations drawn by AI.