To celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival as well as the establishment of the Hong Kong People Association, HKPA organised the first gathering on 17 September inviting Hongkongers and locals to share the joy of the festive season.

In Hong Kong, the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the calendar highlights. It is generally believed that the moon during the Mid-Autumn festival is extraordinarily bigger, fuller and brighter. Traditionally speaking, the round shape of the moon embodies harmony and reunion. It is important for families to gather around at this time of the year.

For some who have just moved to the UK from Hong Kong, this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival might not be the same. To bring Hong Kong people together and make everyone feel home again, HKPA has held a dinner gathering in a local Chinese restaurant.

We have prepared traditional cuisine dishes and mooncakes for our guests. For many Hongkongers, eating mooncakes the traditional way – filled with white lotus paste and salted egg yolks – is a childhood ritual. Since mooncake has the same round shape as the full moon, it also symbolises family reunions. For many of our foreign friends in the dinner, it is their first time to celebrate the festival and try the traditional mooncakes of different flavours. It was a very interesting cultural experience.

On the night of mid-autumn festival, usually after dinner, many Hongkongers would go outdoors to admire the full moon and children would carry colourful lanterns. Some lanterns come with riddles. In the gathering, we have also prepared some lantern riddles for everyone, and winners got special prize.

The night has ended with joy and laughter. It was a lovely night to gather around and celebrate together.