The festive activities are mostly planned and located within the night. The procedure always follows the same sequence as seen below, duplicating or subtracting activities depending on the festival's length.
- A banquet with music and dancing.
- A bonfire with storytelling and singing activities.
- A night of family reunions.
- The so-called night of a thousand lights
The Banquet
The banquet takes place on the first night, celebrating the beginning of the lunar reunion. The people will usually meet in larger groups outside under the night sky, either on marketplaces and designated festival grounds within larger villages and settlements or on a broad meadow in more rural areas.
The centerpiece of the banquet is the
mooncake which is basically a little filled pastry. They can be filled with sweet or savory ingredients. Each person will bring along mooncakes to offer to friends and family.
The musically gifted people will bring their instruments to let the night fade with music and dancing after the banquet.
The Bonfire
The bonfire takes place on the second night and is meant to reunite with friends or create bonds with the older generation through storytelling activities around the fire. Alongside the storytelling activities, there are often also musically gifted people who again bring along their instruments to accompany the chants of their friends.
Family Reunions
The third night is meant to reunite with the family. The family can either be biological or social. Those reunions are individual to each family and are planned and hosted by themselves. Depending on the family's wealth, the activities range from simple dinners to pompous balls.
The Night of Thousand Lights
The night of thousand lights, also known as shimmering night, takes place on the last night before the full moons separate again. Within that night, the people will let sky lanterns rise into the sky to celebrate the end of the festival and symbolize the farewell of Luna and Luan.
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