The Mid-Autumn Festival is a popular lunar harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching. A description of the festival first appeared in Rites of Zhou, a written collection of rituals of the Western Zhou Dynasty from 3,000 years ago.

The festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is celebrated traditionally by eating ‘Mooncakes’ – small pastries, filled with rich red bean or lotus seed paste and surrounded by a thin crust. Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.

Black History Month runs throughout October with a series of events, promotion, seminars and celebrations across the UK.

It is said that a key factor in setting October as Black History Month is as it falls at the beginning of a new academic year and can instil pride and identity into young black learners. October is also a period of tolerance and reconciliation in African culture.

See here for listings on what’s on in London during Black History Month: http://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/#/black-history-listings/4568893148