Autumn Festival is a carnival that is also known as the Moon Festival around Asian countries. It is observed in countries like Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, China, Vietnam and Singapore amongst others around September – October (Gregorian calendar). It is also celebrated in Germany (Oktoberfest). In Mexico it is called “Fiesta de Octubre”. In one African countries; Ghana to be specific, there is a Autumn Festival identified as the “Asgoli Yam Festival”. However, in South Africa, my country of origin i don’t know of any Autumn celebrations or festivals other than the Spring Day celebration on September 1 that we created ourselves in the 1980’s and early 1990’s where we as kids would chase and pour each other with water by force. You can Google “South African Spring day water celebrations pictures” so you can have an idea of what is it im referring to. Kids nowadays are still celebrating the September 1 Spring day by splashing each other with water as a way of welcoming the Spring season.

One of the commonly practiced traditions during the Autumn Festival in Asia is the worshipping of the moon and it is believed to have originated more than 1 thousand years ago. It is a practice where ancient Emperors are believed to have used the Festival to offer sacrifices to the moon in autumn where they prayed for good harvest, great weather and peace in the coming year.

In Taiwan, families celebrate it by having barbecues on grills outside their homes where families share food such as beef, crabs, fish, chicken, various vegetables and marshmallows. In China where it is allegedly the second most important traditional festival, it is celebrated by families and friends where everyone gets together to admire the moon and share mooncakes to mark the harvest season. The Autumn Harvest is observed by the Chinese as a way to celebrate harvest.

In South Korea it is known as “Chuseok”. The “Chuseok” is not as widely celebrated as in some other Asian countries. But it is also celebrated as a Harvest Festival where families get together to pay respect to their ancestors, share traditional foods, as well as participating in cultural activities.

In Vietnam the Moon Festival is known as “Tet Trung Thu” and is a popular holiday for children. Similar to China, it involves mooncake eating and various traditional activities. Lion and Dragon dances are also performed.  While in Japan the Autumn Harvest is known as “Tsukimi” which means moon viewing. During the “Tsukumi” celebration people gather to gaze at he moon and give each other rice dumplings as gifts. It is a quite and introspective celebration that both the young and old enjoy.

The Autumn Festival celebrated in Germany is known as the Oktoberfest. It is the largest celebration of Bavarian culture where millions of visitors travel thousands of miles to the city of Munich each year to can experience the 2-week long festival. The festival has been celebrated for more than 200 years. Attendees of the Oktoberfest drinks lots and lots of beer to can celebrate the carnival.

In Ghana it is known as the Asgoli Yam Festival. The celebration of the Yam Festival is believed to have been started by a hunter who found the Yam (sweet potato plant) in the forest during his hunting expedition. After the hunter found the Yam he hid it and while hidden it germinated and grew bigger. The Yam crop was an essential component of communities’ subsistence and economic prosperity. As of today the Yam Festival marks of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest season for Yams.  To celebrate the Asgoli Yam, a vibrant spectacle filled with traditional music, dance, colorful displays and the exchanging of gifts. The Asgoli Yam Festival is usually celebrated in the month of September.

In Mexico there is one known as “Fiesta de Octubre” where every year the Mexican city of Guadalajar comes alive with a burst of music, performance and celebrations. The month long celebrations are a magnificent showcasing of Mexican culture, tradition and artistry. The celebrations are believed to be dating back to the mid-20th century.

Moving on to Canada, the Autumn Festival celebration leg is known as the Celtic Color Festival and is held in Cape Breton Island. It is held over 9 days where 50 concerts are hosted, attracting artists from all over the world where singers, story tellers, dancers, instrument players share the stage for the amusement of the adoring crowds.

Know as you can see, the Autumn Festive are observed, or celebrated for different reasons across the globe. To some it is a spiritual occasion like in Asian countries, while for some it’s all about having extreme fun.

If you are a globe trotter or are planning to be one and would like to learn a lot about different cultures and traditions across the world during your touring, aligning your travelling with Autumn Festivals of different countries can be ideal because that will go a long way in helping feed you spiritually and still get to entertain you at the same time. More like hitting 2 birds with one stone.