Moon cake is made with rich pastry and lotus seed paste, traditionally eaten during the mid autumn festival

Wishing you and your family a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, or in Chinese 中秋節.

It is a traditional festival celebrated by people in China and Asia, and said to be the second most important Chinese holiday after the Chinese New Year.

It is celebrated on the 15th of the 8th month on the Chinese lunar calendar,  when the moon will be at its brightest, roundness and fullest – which is today. So do go out and have a look at the moon tonight.

Traditions and myths of mid autumn festival

It is said that this festival started some 3000 years ago when the Chinese emperors worshipped the moon for bountiful harvests for the farmers. The ordinary people would celebrate this day for their hard work, harvest and family unity and togetherness.  [Refer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival for more details].

The traditions and myths surrounding this festive day were formed around the concepts of giving thanks for family reunion, harmony and togetherness, as well as providing the abundance of crops and harvests (in ancient times) and praying for conceptual and material satisfaction, such as additions to the family through birth or marriage, longevity, health and good future etc.  In another words, it can also be said it is the Chinese version of thanks giving.

There is also another popular myth about the mid autumn festival that is Chang’e (the moon goddess) flying to the moon. [More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e]

Basically, the common festivities during the mid autumn festival among the Chinese families are family reunion, sharing and enjoying mooncakes, and worshipping the moon with gifts and displaying lanterns.

The lanterns

This lantern was from my home in Penang

Traditionally, lanterns have been associated with the festival because of their traditional symbolism of fertility as well as lighting the path ways as family and friends stay up to appreciate the full moon. It also represents beacons to light our way to prosperity and good luck.

Growing up, this is the time when children in the neighbourhood would meet up after dinner and parade their lanterns of various sizes and shapes. The lanterns come in various shapes of animals, and were lit by candles. However, the modern lanterns are battery operated.

Moon cake

On top of the lantern festivals, we will celebrate the festivities with rich pastry filled sweet bean or lotus seed paste, which is known as the moon cake. The mooncake is a Chinese pastry made from wheat flour and sweet fillings. The round shape symbolises family reunion, completeness, harmony and unity.

Whatever the beliefs and myths, it has been a tradition that on this day families will gather to enjoy family togetherness to celebrate the happiness and abundance of what we have achieved. Families who live far away from each other will connect via the modern communication mode and join in the festivity together.

Have a wonderful mid autumn festival!

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chang%27e

Why Do We Carry Lanterns On Mid-Autumn Festival?

https://www.chinahighlights.com/festivals/mid-autumn-festival.htm
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