Mid-Autumn Festival (Lantern Festival), one of the most iconic Chinese festivals, is around the corner. Wherever you come from, you cannot miss this great colourful 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:
Enjoy mooncakes together
One of the most common and traditional Cantonese mooncakes is made of lotus seed paste and a salted egg yolk. This delicate taste might not suit everyone’s tastes, but there are plenty of other flavours you could try, such as egg custard mooncakes, chocolate mooncakes or ice-cream mooncakes.
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.
Create your own lanterns with the kids
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.
Hong Kong only Mid-Autumn festivities
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!
Dragon during Mid-Autumn Festival
Quality family time!
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!
Where can you enjoy the Mid-Autumn Festival lantern carnival?
Hong Kong Island
Urban Mid-Autumn Carnival at Victoria Park – Victoria Park
Main Carnival: Friday, September 13, 2018 – from 8:00pm to 11:00pm
Youth Night: Thursday, September 12, 2018 – from 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Wishing Pavilion – Lantern and Light Show – Victoria Park
September 13 to October 2, 2019 – Saturdays through Wednesdays, from 6:30 – 11:00 pm, (extended until midnight on September 13)
Kowloon
“Magic Behing The Moon” – Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza – Tsim Sha Tsui
August 30 – September 22, 2019, Fridays through Sundays from 6:30pm – 11pm (extended until midnight on September 13).
New Territories
New Territories East Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival – Shatin Park
Carnival Night: Saturday, September 14, 2019 – 7:30pm to 10:00pm
Youth Night: Sunday, September 15, 2019 – 7:30pm to 9:30pm
New Territories West Mid-Autumn Lantern Carnival – Tsuen Wan Park
Carnival Night: Saturday, September 14, 2019 – 7:30pm to 10:00pm
Youth Night: Sunday, September 15, 2019 – 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Where can you watch Fire Dragon Dance?
Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance Parade – Tai Hang & Causeway Bay
300 performers and over 70,000 incense sticks will bring this 67-metre dragon to life!
Tai Hang – Thursday, September 12, 2019 to Saturday, September 14, 2019.
Causeway Bay – Around 10:45pm and 11:30pm on September 13, 2019
