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.
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.
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.
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.
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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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.