In China, that holiday is known as Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by many east and southeast Asian people, and is the second most important holiday in China, after Lunar New Year.

The holiday dates back thousands of years, to when China‘s emperors worshipped the moon for bountiful harvests. It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, meaning it can fall anywhere between mid-September and early October.

It is timed so that there will be a full moon at night as, on this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest. The public celebrates it by displaying lanterns of all sizes and shapes and eating a traditional family meal together, featuring mooncakes.

Why the Chinese celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival – a brief history of the occasion

In the US, the traditional Thanksgiving story is about Pilgrims and Native Americans coming together after the colonists’ brutal first year in America to celebrate a successful corn harvest in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The traditional story has been re-examined in recent years because it paints a rosy picture of relations between European settlers and Native Americans that were defined by disease and violence, and which some historians liken to genocide. But it remains one of America’s most important holidays, as it provides an excuse for families to spend time with one another.

The holiday is also famous for its food, especially roast turkey, which is a staple. Mid-Autumn Festival is also a food-based holiday, with its most famous food item being the mooncake. Here’s a list of must-have dishes for Thanksgiving and Mid-Autumn celebrations. We’d even suggest mixing and matching for a truly unique spread.

Five must-have Thanksgiving foods

1. Turkey with stuffing

Roasted turkey is the centrepiece of the Thanksgiving table. Turkey meat contains the chemical tryptophan, which makes people sleepy, and it’s traditional for people to take naps after their Thanksgiving feast.

One matter of long-standing debate is whether the turkey should include stuffing, a dish that involves cooking a mix of turkey giblets, vegetables, herbs and breadcrumbs inside the turkey. Some people love it, others hate it.

2. Mashed potato

If turkey is the most famous of Thanksgiving dishes, potatoes are the most beloved. (Fun fact: a lot of people do not like turkey).

Mashed potato and gravy accompany the turkey, usually mixing with the rest of the plate as people dive further into their meals. The gravy is just as important as the potatoes, as people often pour it all over their turkey, or use it to completely replace cranberry sauce.

3. Cranberry sauce

Cranberry sauce is a condiment that most people do not eat other than at Thanksgiving. It typically adds tartness to a plate that can be fairly monotone if the cooks are not careful. There is also a debate about whether cranberry sauce from a can actually tastes better than a fresh batch.

4. Green beans

Green beans are the most common vegetable side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. There is no rule on how they should be cooked for Thanksgiving, providing an opportunity for some culinary creativity.

Some people even make them the star of a casserole to diversify the Thanksgiving dinner.

5. Pies

No Thanksgiving dinner is complete without a pie. The most common flavours served on Thanksgiving are pecan, pumpkin and apple pie.

Pumpkin pie is most closely associated with Thanksgiving because it‘s not typically a part of American cuisine outside the holiday. Pecan pie and apple pies are served all year round.

Traditional Mid-Autumn Festival dishes

1. Mooncakes

The most famous Mid-Autumn food, this must-have delicacy can be filled with a variety of fillings, including sesame, red bean and dates. It even comes in a form similar to ice cream.

Mooncakes are also famous for packing an absurd amount of calories in a tiny package.

2. Osmanthus flower rice cake

This traditional dessert is healthy and unhealthy at the same time. The osmanthus flowers produce a sweet fragrance, and it is an ingredient that is used in a lot of Chinese dishes.

However, the rice cake is packed with flour and sugar, so it tends to be high in calories.

3. River snails

The Chinese version of escargot is a staple at Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations in the southern province of Guangzhou. They are often steamed with herbs to help mitigate the smell and keep the dish low on oil and sodium. It boasts a variety of nutrients such as calcium, iron and vitamin A. Some people believe they brighten the eyes.

The best Shanghai hairy crabs and the best ways to cook them

4. Crabs

Crab season starts in September, which means the seafood is in peak season during Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hairy crabs in particular are a sought-after cuisine and they are often sold at a high price. They are so popular that the government watches the hairy crab market for signs of corruption and bribery.

5. Fried lotus root

Lotus roots are a versatile ingredient that can be used in soups, stir-fries and deep-fried.

Steamed lotus roots with sticky rice, honey and stir-fried vegetables is a healthy dish worthy of any dinner table. Lotus root have a unique appearance, as they look like any other root on the outside, but have distinctive holes throughout the ingredient when they are sliced.