Solitude is a carnival of a crowd, which is probably what it means. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, it's common for a family to sit together for a reunion dinner and enjoy the moon at home. However, there are always some people who, due to the limitations of their current jobs, personal career factors, or the special nature of their work, cannot be with their families at all times. They are striving hard in their life's journey. When trying to move forward, everyone has their low points and busy periods. They may choose to spend the festival away from home because of insufficient time, strict work requirements, or unfulfilled ambitions. They are not disrespectful or neglectful of their families, but often forced by circumstances, becoming part of the group that wants to go home but can't during the Mid-Autumn Festival. After all, who said it was easy? Everyone has hidden difficulties that are hard to express. On the path of struggle, some things are destined to be borne alone. No matter the outcome, they remain loyal and persevere until the end, making their youth without regrets. Such people deserve our respect and admiration. As someone who has also once been away from home, I can't claim to fully understand your homesickness, but I have experienced it to some extent. In the era of information explosion, we see posts on WeChat Moments showing the moon, mooncakes, and family reunions filled with happiness. Compared to your loneliness, it's natural to feel sad. The Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes not only the joy of family reunion but also a day to express gratitude to elders and friends and offer blessings to loved ones. Therefore, if you are one of those who want to go home but can't, please call your parents and send your friends some wishes, letting them know you're doing fine and sending them good news about your safety and well-being. Some unspoken hardships are often endured by the mature. No one is born mature, but through experience, they become resilient. The moon has its waxing and waning, and there will be another full moon. So even if you're spending the festival away from home, please take care of yourself, prepare a mooncake, have a good meal, enjoy the quiet of the full moon night, or invite a few friends to celebrate the festival together. The joy of company will bring you some comfort, since you are not the only one unable to return home. There are countless others who are also spending the festival alone on this joyful and united day. May every person who cannot return home take good care of themselves. May your parents be healthy, and may your aspirations be treated gently by the world, achieving your heart's desires. Home is a place of warmth, where you, me, and others come together, where everything goes smoothly and happily. Please don't forget to call your family and report your safety. Dare to express your love, allowing the family bond to be elevated during the full moon night, giving each other more understanding and care. When you achieve success, don't forget your hometown, remember filial piety, and always keep in mind the sentiment of loving your hometown and respecting your ancestors.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese festival. In the lunar calendar, a year is divided into four seasons, each consisting of three parts: Meng, Zhong, and Ji. August is the second month of autumn, hence called “Zhongqiu”, which is a homophonic expression for “Mid-Autumn”. The full moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is rounder and brighter than the full moons of other months, so it is also called “Yuexi” or “August Festival”.
Mooncakes symbolize reunion and are essential food for Mid-Autumn Festival. The custom of eating mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival is said to have originated from the late Yuan Dynasty.
It is said that during the Yuan Dynasty, the people of Central China were tired of being ruled harshly by Mongols and rose up in rebellion against the Yuan. Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to unite the resistance forces but found it difficult to pass messages due to tight searches by Yuan soldiers. So Liu Bowen came up with a plan, ordering Wang Zhaoguang to make cakes, hiding a note saying “Rise up on the fifteenth night of the eighth month” inside the cakes. Then, these cakes were sent to various rebel groups, notifying them to rise up on the evening of the fifteenth of the eighth month. This led to the fall of the Yuan Dynasty, and to commemorate this achievement, the custom of eating mooncakes during Mid-Autumn Festival was passed down. Especially in the Northeast region, there is a saying “On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, kill the Manchus.”
No matter when mooncakes originated, the roundness of the moon symbolizes the reunion of people, and the roundness of the cake symbolizes the longevity of people. Using mooncakes to express the longing for hometowns and relatives, and to pray for harvest and happiness, has become the wish of people around the world.
The true connection between mooncakes and Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Ming Dynasty. At that time, Beijing had a type of mooncake made with fruits as filling, and on the day of Mid-Autumn Festival, people made mooncakes themselves for personal consumption and to give as gifts to friends and relatives, expressing the meaning of reunion and celebration. At that time, the size and shape of mooncakes were not standardized, and the names were quite unique.