Tips for celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival 2021

The Mid-Autumn Festival is just around the corner. Although festive activities are limited this year due to COVID-19, you can still enjoy the Festival with family members and friends with the following tips suggested by various government departments.

Best time for moon watching

One of the must-do activities in Mid-Autumn Festival is moon-watching. The Mid-Autumn Festival this year falls on September 21. According to the forecast of the Hong Kong Observatory, the times of moonrise and transit will be at 6:47 pm (on September 21) and 0:54 am (in the next morning) respectively. To schedule your moon-watching activities, please refer to the 9-Day Weather Forecast for the planning of moon-watching activities on the latest weather conditions during the Mid-Autumn Festival period.

Seven keys to Enjoying Mooncakes

Mooncakes are essential for the Festival. When you enjoy your mooncakes, don’t forget to check the seven tips suggested by the Centre for Food Safety, such as origin, expiry dates, packaging and nutrition labels, and to keep clean during the food handling process.

A Greener Mid-Autumn

Some green tips shared by the Environmental Department, which are summarised below, help you to reduce waste and enjoy an eco-friendly Mid-Autumn Festival.

Choose mooncakes with simple or environmentally friendly packaging and avoid ordering an excessive amount. Avoid buying bottled waters or lanterns. Use reusable utensils. Reuse lanterns of previous years or be creative to make lanterns from waste; avoid buying lanterns made of unrecyclable materials. If you opt for camping or hiking to enjoy the full moon in the countryside, remember to “Bring Your Litter Home” and conserve nature. Clean mooncake boxes before putting them into the appropriate recycle bins. You can easily find a nearby recycling point at public places (including those within the country park barbecue sites) via the mobile application “Waste Less”.

Lantern Making Workshop

Join the “Mid-Autumn Festival Workshop” to learn to make your own lantern and enjoy a green Mid-Autumn Festival! The workshop, organised by City Gallery, will be held from 18 to 19 September 2021 at Community Lounge. 12 free-of-charge vacancies will be provided on-site on a first-come-first-served basis.

_{(The image above is designed by the student of Hong Kong Design Institute)}