Explainer | Screaming at the moon during Mid-Autumn Festival – a tale of yearning and connection
Practice is rooted in local legend about elderly woman who tragically lost 17-year-old son to military conscription
A special folk tradition known as “screaming at the moon” is celebrated as a distinctive way to honour the Mid-Autumn Festival in China.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese holiday steeped in profound cultural symbolism. Common customs include moon gazing and savouring mooncakes, as the moon embodies themes of reunion, longing, eternity, feminine beauty, and reverence for nature.
As poignantly captured by a famous ancient Chinese poem: “Though miles apart, we share the beauty of the same moonlight,” it beautifully illustrates the deep, enduring emotions that people project onto the moon.
Traditional folk activities such as moon worship, moon chasing, and heartfelt prayers to the moon have been passed down through generations and continue to be cherished aspects of the celebration.
However, in the expansive rural areas of Xinye county, Henan province, in northern China, elderly villagers uphold a remarkable Mid-Autumn Festival tradition known as “Screaming at the Moon,” a ritual of longing expressed through passionate shouts directed at the moon.