If you\u2019re like me, today kind of slipped up on you \u2014 but, today is the 15th day of the 8th month (on the Chinese calendar.) The significance of today is that it\u2019s the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival or Moon Festival, and probably some other names. No matter what you call it, it\u2019s one of China\u2019s biggest holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This year the Moon Festival falls on September 10 and it\u2019s also a popular observance in many other Asian countries like Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Singapore \u2014 but those countries have different names for the celebration. The festival date, however, is the same as in China \u2014 this year, that\u2019s today. On the Chinese mainland, people usually have a three-day public holiday for the festival. In Hong Kong and Macau, the day after the festival is a public holiday rather than the festival day itself because many celebration events are held at night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the Chinese lunar calendar, the four seasons each have three lunar months \u2014 day 15 of month 8 is \u201cthe middle of autumn\u201d \u2014 thus, it\u2019s name. The date of the festival is a full moon, and that\u2019s why it is also called the Moon Festival. (On the 15th of each lunar calendar month, the moon is at its roundest and brightest, symbolizing togetherness and reunion in Chinese culture.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The festival is always brightly lit with Chinese lanterns and people reunite with their families and friends, check out the lanterns, visit temples and attend various celebration events \u2014 and \u2014 buy and exchange mooncakes. In ancient times, mooncakes were a kind of offering to the moon. Over the centuries, these special cakes have become the most popular food of the festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mooncakes typically measure 2 to 4 inches across and up to 2 inches deep. Most mooncakes have a pastry skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling. They are usually eaten in small wedges during the festival, and shared by family members. They are generally served with Chinese tea, and, very rarely, mooncakes are served steamed or fried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Chinese culture, roundness symbolizes completeness and togetherness. A full moon symbolizes prosperity and reunion for the whole family. Round mooncakes complement the harvest moon in the night sky during the Mid-Autumn\/Moon Festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The mooncake isn\u2019t just a food, it\u2019s a profound cultural tradition deep in Chinese people\u2019s hearts, symbolizing a spiritual feeling. At the festival people eat mooncakes together with family, or present mooncakes to relatives or friends, to express love and best wishes.
Seems like kind of a cool thing to do\u2026.
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019re like me, today kind of slipped up on you \u2014 but, today is the 15th day of the 8th month (on the Chinese calendar.) The significance of today is that it\u2019s the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the … Continue reading