The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival Sep 13, 2019

The moon rises for Mid-Autumn Festival

Shenzhen, China—seen in our photo today—is a drone manufacturing hub. So, when this city celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival in 2018, a synchronized fleet of drones took to the skies over Shenzhen Talent Park and lit up in a crescent-moon shape to celebrate the lunar holiday. At other times in the performance, the drones created the shape of Chinese characters reading "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!" So, what is the Mid-Autumn Festival? It’s a harvest celebration that’s been observed by Chinese and other Asian peoples for thousands of years. The date of the celebration changes each year on our Gregorian calendar, falling on the first full moon of the harvest season, which arrives today. One major feature of the lunar holiday? A sweet pastry called "mooncake." Let it be known that we fully embrace any holiday that includes cake.

© Liang Weiming/VCG via Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Sep 13, 2018They’re grrrape!
Sep 13, 2020Super sandy Sweet 16
Sep 13, 2021Sand, sun, and sk8ers
Sep 13, 2022Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Sep 13, 2023Hemakuta Hill, Hampi, India
Sep 13, 2024Point Reyes National Seashore, California
Sep 13, 2025Point Reyes National Seashore in California

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Nov 27, 2025Happy Thanksgiving!
Jan 17, 2022Martin Luther King Day
Dec 17, 2020Pining for spring
Dec 17, 2019When in Rome...celebrate Saturnalia
Jan 27, 2019A memorial in Germany
May 11, 2025Happy Mothers Day!
Mar 12, 2022The Girl Scouts celebrate 110 years
Sep 22, 2021What s cuter than nuzzling rhinos?
Jul 10, 2018Wyoming celebrates its statehood
Aug 31, 2018Let’s have a ball
Jan 7, 2025Moeraki Boulders, South Island, New Zealand
Feb 20, 2024Kinder Scout, Peak District National Park, England
Feb 17, 2018Infant Sumatran orangutan, Indonesia
Jun 26, 2020Beautiful baobabs
Jun 5, 2020By the light of the fireflies
Oct 10, 2019A star blows a bubble
Feb 27, 2022International Polar Bear Day
Nov 27, 2022Cecropia leaf and lobster claw petals in Mexico
Nov 25, 2025Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy
Feb 8, 2023Uredd Rest Area, Norway
Oct 16, 2018Hey, who’s in charge here?
Jun 8, 2025World Oceans Day
May 25, 2019Traveling warblers
Oct 24, 2019Bridge of Hillsborough County
May 23, 2022World Turtle Day
Nov 26, 2024Celebrating World Olive Tree Day
Jul 21, 2018And you thought moths were boring
Aug 5, 2023Atlantic puffin, Iceland
Dec 7, 2018Honoring our fallen heroes
Nov 27, 2023Río Negro, Amazon basin, Brazil