KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival features prominently in multicultural Malaysia, with the overseas Chinese and their local friends enthusiastically marking the key cultural date.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, has been observed by people of Chinese origin for thousands of years, usually marked by family reunions, a full moon viewing and the consumption of mooncakes.

Decorations have gone up in shopping malls and mooncakes, a traditional pastry dedicated to the festival, are on sale everywhere from small shops to huge shopping malls besides the sale of a huge variety of lanterns.

Greetings and events have been organized, both by private entities and public office holders with gatherings, lantern walks and other activities being held, bringing together Malaysians of all ethnicities.

Consultant Aishah Afandi who is from Penang state and now works in Kuala Lumpur said the festival is one which she looked forward to, especially for the mooncakes.

"Malaysians know this festival better as the mooncake festival. Previously it was more limited but nowadays, there are so many flavors and halal ones too. I can join in with my Chinese friends and better understand their culture, including knowing the festival's formal name," she told Xinhua.

Meanwhile, manager Chan Yang Han who lives in Selangor state visited Kwai Chai Hong, Little Ghost Road in the Cantonese, which is a rejuvenated alleyway that shows artworks and cultural displays, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival, to admire this year's exhibits.

"This is something that brings people together. You see people of all races coming together to view something that is uniquely part of Chinese culture. At a time when things are uncertain everywhere, it is reassuring to see that this cultural celebration proceeds as it usually does," he said.