Chinese Moon Cake Mid-Autumn Festival
Long time ago , the Chinese in China were under the Mongolian rule (1280-1376) during the Yuan dynasty . Not submitting to a foreign conquest , the Chinese leaders, planned a rebellion during the Chinese Moon Cake Festival. Knowing that the Mongolians did not favor Chinese moon cakes, they used the moon cakes as a tool to stratagem an uprising. Messages with the attack strategies were concealed in the moon cakes and distributed by lantern bearing messengers. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Moon Cake Festival, the plan was put into action and the battle was won.
Chinese Moon Cake Festival is also known as Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrated on the 15th moon day of the 8th lunar month of the Chinese calendar. In the western calendar it falls between mid-September to mid-October. This year it is celebrated on Sept 22, 2010. At this time the moon is at its brightest and roundest. A wholesome full moon.
The legends, myths and stories of the Chinese Moon Cake Mid Autumn Festival are varied. Here are two known versions:-
Moon Goddess or Moon Fairy
This legend tells of a time when there were ten suns burning up the earth, drying up rivers, lakes and bringing misfortune, drought and death. The King of Heaven sent Archer HouYi down to earth to eliminate the source of misery. He shot down all the suns except for one and that restored life and humanity. While on earth, HouYi married a beautiful charming woman, ChangEr. He searched desperately for an elixir of life for his mortal wife and found it in the tree of eternity in Kunlun Mountains. This elixir must be shared by both husband and wife to enjoy eternal life together. If only one takes it, that one will ascend to Heaven and become an immortal.
A wicked man got to know of that elixir of life and wanted the whole portion for himself. He murdered HouYi and forces ChangEr to surrender the secret portion. She drank all of it and found herself being lifted towards Heaven and chose to live on the moon to be nearer to her earthly people.
Harvest Moon - Thanksgiving Festival
This is a Harvest Festival celebration for the farmers. Food was abundant after the harvest so it was a day for Thanksgiving. Fruits, vegetables and grains were placed on the altar as offerings. Fruits and especially pomelo (grapefruit), baby yam (taro), water caltrop (water chestnut resembling black buffalo horns) and of course the moon cakes are the must-have offerings. These are still used in these times. Chinese believe in praying to the Moon God for protection, family unity and good fortune.
Family members will gather for a reunion dinner and thereafter to a Fiesta as second part of merry making, moon cakes party and tea drinking session. Gazing up the full moon, affirming their legendary moon stories to their children. Looking out for any visual sighting or formation of the Moon Fairy. Some declared that they had seen her!? A ritual of going for leisurely stroll, with their children holding brightly lit lanterns in all shapes, sizes and designs. Displaying and parading their attractive lanterns, flood lighting their walking paths with movements of dancing lights and shadows. Those were the grand old days of Mid-Autumn Festival.
Chinese Moon Cakes & Lantern Festival.
These modern times, it's popularly known as the Chinese Moon Cake and Lantern Festival. Mid-Autumn Festival is pretty much the same as celebrated in the Harvest Moon Thanksgiving Festival but on a low scale unlike the Chinese New Year's celebration. It's a time for family reunion and get together.
Mid-Autumn Festival Lanterns
Making of the festive lanterns have moved from construction with bamboo sticks and rice paper to wires and colorful transparent plastic sheets.
The dancing glow from traditional candle lit lanterns are slowly being replaced by the fuss free electronic LED lit lanterns of innovative running flickers.
Various Flavors In The Making of MoonCakes
Besides the traditional mooncakes made with fillings of lotus seed paste, mashed red beans, egg york, nuts and dates wrapped in a pastry. We now have hundred of varieties of delectable moon cakes. The new flavors are created and infused with new introduction of fruits like raspberry, blueberry, mango, durian, beans, corns, dairies, sesame seeds, nuts, chocolates, cheese and beverages in distinctive layers in the baked and cold variety. The latest modern twist is the unusual infusion of nutritious vegetables being used as filling. Moon cakes are being sold two months before the MoonCake Festival and savored or presented as gifts
The array of moon cakes are sold in varying combination, beautifully packed in attractive gift boxes. The creativity of the box designs are astounding. When buying them as gifts, this makes the choosing of the packing a reckoning criteria rather than the make of the moon cake.
The Next Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration Dates To Note:
2011, Sept 12
2012, Sept 30
2013, Sept 19
2014, Sept 8
2015, Sept 27
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