Mid-Autumn Festival (Mooncake Festival), one of the most iconic Chinese festivals, is around the corner. This year, the full-moon celebration falls on Friday, September 25, 2026. Wherever you come from, you cannot miss this great colorful holiday in Hong Kong! But the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a perfect family time: play lanterns, enjoy the full moon, and even picnic outdoor with your beloved ones.
For your domestic helper, do not forget that the day after Mid-Autumn Festival is a statutory holiday in Hong Kong. You are required to give her a day off unless you give a replacement day off. Usually, for this celebration, almost all employers give their domestic workers the mandatory day off.
However, you may also want to involve her in the holiday mood, here are some ideas:
The Mid Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when the moon is believed to be at its brightest and fullest. Families and friends gather to admire the moon, enjoy seasonal treats, and express gratitude for harvest, luck, and connection.
While the festival has ancient roots in lunar traditions, in Hong Kong it is celebrated with modern cultural energy — from neighbourhood lantern displays to community events and family dinners
Here are festival experiences you won’t want to miss in Hong Kong:
One of the most iconic events during the Mid Autumn Festival is the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. A giant dragon — about 67 metres long and adorned with thousands of burning incense sticks — winds through the streets of Tai Hang, carried by dozens of performers in a captivating procession believed to bring peace and good luck.
This spectacle blends community, tradition, and visual drama, and many locals and visitors make it a highlight of the festival.
Moongazing remains one of the simplest and most meaningful traditions of the Mid Autumn Festival. On festival night, families and friends congregate in popular spots like Victoria Harbourfront parks to admire the brightest full moon of the year. For a special experience, some choose to enjoy the view from a harbour cruise or a ferry to nearby islands — watching the moon rise over the skyline.
The Mid Autumn Festival often feels like a lantern festival because of the many colourful displays throughout Hong Kong. From creative installations at Victoria Park to themed exhibits along Lee Tung Avenue and bustling lantern stalls at Fuk Wing Street, the city glows with artistic lanterns — from traditional paper designs to modern luminous shapes.
Children especially enjoy carrying their own lanterns and taking part in lantern parades, and these displays provide wonderful evening strolls for families.
No Mid Autumn Festival is complete without mooncakes — round pastries symbolising wholeness and unity. In Hong Kong, you will find both traditional mooncakes and contemporary varieties with creative fillings like custard, snow skin, or even chocolate.
Other festival foods include sweet tong yuen (glutinous rice balls), and seasonal fruits such as pomegranate and pomelo, which are often part of family meals or shared with neighbours.
Many parks and civic spaces host themed carnivals and cultural performances during Mid Autumn season. These events blend art, music, dance and crafts, making them perfect for families and people of all ages to celebrate together.
Of course, your domestic worker will be very grateful for the gesture if you offer mooncakes to her as a gift. Our previous survey shows about 50% of domestic helpers have received mooncakes from their employers. So next time when you go around with your box of mooncakes, don’t hesitate to ask her if she likes it or ever tried before, and offer her some.
You could also teach your domestic helper how to make some, or enrol her in Mooncake classes so she can prepare some for you and your family. For example, every year, Complete Deelite proposes mooncake baking classes before the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Lanterns play a major part in Mid-Autumn Festival, and kids often play with them. Either in supermarkets or toys stores, you will find many different types, from paper-made to electric. But why not create your own lanterns with your little ones? This could be a great time and help your kids develop their creative skills.
HelperChoice recently made a step-by-step simple DIY tutorial that you or your domestic helper could follow.
This holiday is a special moment for families, who usually choose to spend some quality time together. You could also offer your domestic helper to join you and your kids for this Festival. But make sure you respect her statutory holiday.
We selected for you, at the end of this article, a list of the best places to enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festivities. There you go! You are all set to spend a perfect Mid-Autumn Festival with your loved ones!
There are many places throughout Hong Kong where you can admire the beauty of the festival. Whether you live in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon or New Territories, events are organised all around the city and children especially like these celebrations, such as a lantern carnival or the Fire Dragon Dance.
The legend about the Fire Dragon Dance can be traced back to 100 years ago, when a typhoon affected the community of Tai Hang. This unfortunate event was followed by a plague, and a python ate the villagers’ livestock. To stop this bad luck, they decided to stage a fire dance for three days and nights during the Festival. The villagers made a huge dragon from straw and covered it with incense sticks, that they lit, accompanied by drummers and erupting firecrackers. Following this, the plague disappeared!
The Mid Autumn Festival is deeply rooted in family and community values. If your household includes a domestic helper, here are some thoughtful ideas to include them in the season’s spirit:
Celebrating together — or in ways that respect personal comfort — strengthens trust and brings warmth to the festival mood.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a wonderful time to slow down, reconnect, and appreciate the people who make our daily lives brighter — from family members to friends and colleagues. Whether you celebrate through moon-gazing, sharing mooncakes, or enjoying lantern displays across Hong Kong, the essence of the festival lies in togetherness, gratitude, and harmony.
At HelperChoice, we believe that these same values — respect, appreciation, and connection — are the foundation of every healthy home and employment relationship. If you’re planning festive activities, hiring a verified domestic helper, or simply looking for ideas to build a happy, ethical household, visit www.helperchoice.com for trusted profiles and resources.
🌕 Wishing you and your loved ones a bright, peaceful, and joyful Mid-Autumn Festival 2026!
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