Categories: Arts & Humanities

How do Chinese celebrate Mid Autumn Festival

Mid Autumn Festival, also known as Mooncake

 Festival ( in chinese – Zhong Qiu Jie ) will be held

 this on the Sept 15th 2016.

This is one of the four important festivals widely 

celebrated all around the world for Chinese people,

 especially in Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and

 China.

 

 

Brief Story 

 

The Mid Autumn Festival is related to the famous

 story of the Moon Goddess of Immortality; Chang E

 ( Pronounce as Chang – Er )

 

According to a folk tale, a Chinese Hero by the

 name “Hou Yi” was good at archery.

He was married , his wife’s name was Chang E.

During one of the hot season, 10 tens rose up in the

 sky to play.

Since there were 10 suns, the Earth was hot, 

people are suffering from heat, plants and 

vegetables died due to lack of water. 

That was a huge disaster to the people of China.

Hou Yi shot down 9 suns, leaving 1 in the sky.

An immortal gave Hou Yi the elixir of immortality but

 he doesn’t want to become immortal and leave his 

wife behind.

Hence, he gave the elixir to Chang E to safe keep it.

However, his friend Peng Meng knew of it, broke

 into Hou Yi’s house and forced Chang E to give the

 elixir to him.

Chang E refused, swallowed it and flew into the sky.

She stayed at the moon in order to look after Hou Yi

.

Thereafter, people of China made cakes in circle 

shape of the moon, to offer Chang E for her.

 

Every year, on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, 

as according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar 

( the month of September ), the full moon will shine 

brightly high in the dark sky.

This is the day where the Chinese people

 celebrates Mid Autumn Festival by offering ,sharing

 mooncakes and consuming together in harmony.

 

 

 

Mooncakes 

Families and friends, buy mooncakes 

( in chinese – Yue Bing ) from pastry shops, which

 are expensive year by year.

Although mooncakes are not compulsory but many 

people be believed that consuming mooncakes

 symbolize family unity ( round ), happiness

 ( sweet fillings) and harmony ( gathering together )

Mooncakes comes in 2 sizes, circle and square.

Related Post

yam paste with salted egg yolk mooncake-taken by peachpurple

The mooncakes fillings range from :

pandan ( screwpine) paste, red bean paste, green 

bean paste, assorted mixed nuts paste, lotus seed 

paste and melon seeds paste.

For a richer filling, a salted egg yolk in embedded

 in the middle of the paste, which cost a little more.

Now, you can even buy unique fillings of different 

mooncakes:

 coffee mooncakes, cold snow skin mooncakes, 

durian mooncakes, jelly mooncakes and even

 ice-cream mooncakes.

 

paper lantern -taken by peachpurple

Lanterns

Besides mooncakes, children love to hold onto 

paper or plastic lanterns alike the ancient people in

 the past.

Lanterns come in assorted shapes and sizes. 

In the past, lanterns are rectangular or circle shapes

, made from red paper with soft wires as the frame.

A candle is placed in the middle of the lantern, light 

up with a matchstick that glows in the dark

 ( alike Halloween pumpkin).

Then, a bamboo stick or wooden cane is hooked

 up on top in order to carry the lantern as you walk.

Handmade plastic lanterns and cheap paper 

lanterns are popularly sold in shopping mall at

 cheap prices in bulk.

For toddlers and younger children, battery operated 

lanterns are sold for convenience and safety.

Little children and older siblings are always seen 

and heard laughing, chattering while walking around

 the garden, car porch with the lighted lanterns in 

hand,under the full bright moon at night.

 

Older folks prefer to sit outside in the park or the 

car porch, eating mooncakes while gazing the full

 moon.

 

 

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  • peachpurple

    View Comments

    • Cool! Sharing this via my foodie blog. I collect stuff about world cuisine. It's interesting to know the story behind the dishes.

    • Happy Mooncake Festival! The mooncake flavors vary from province to another in China. I do like the to try ice cream mooncake. I haven't seen it for real. When I stayed in China before, I haven't seen this kind of flavor.

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