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

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:

Aug 9, 2023International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
Jun 19, 2018Dancers perform ‘Revelations’
Oct 15, 2022International Archaeology Day
Jul 3, 2025Rainbow River, Rainbow Springs State Park, Florida
Dec 23, 2023Festivus
Aug 27, 2019Remembering Krakatoa
Jul 31, 2025Ring-tailed lemur
Sep 25, 2021Autumn comes to the Porcupines
Nov 26, 2018A little bit of Wonderland in New York City
Apr 13, 2018Replica of a Viking home in Dublin National Botanic Gardens, Ireland
Sep 3, 2018Construction workers resting above Manhattan
Nov 6, 2023Lake Pehoé, Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Sep 15, 2023National Hispanic Heritage Month
Apr 2, 2018Seven Magic Mountains art installation, Jean Dry Lake, Nevada
Sep 7, 2020Take a break! It s Labor Day!
Aug 19, 2023World Photography Day
Oct 28, 2024Pumpkin field, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Nov 26, 2024Celebrating World Olive Tree Day
Apr 18, 2019Stop and see the flowers
Dec 16, 2024Salzburg, Austria
Oct 10, 2022Indigenous Peoples Day
May 12, 2021A visit to Limerick on Limerick Day
Jan 30, 2020The Pearl of Siberia
May 21, 2021Whoopin it up!
Feb 28, 2021Tough turf
Nov 24, 2019Autumn in the cypress swamp
Aug 2, 2019An uncommon look at an American icon
Aug 29, 2021Notes from an underground lake
Apr 20, 2022Mute swans
Sep 29, 2021The largest American bison around