The Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar, which is in September or early October in the Gregorian calendar. It is a date that parallels the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest and roundest. The traditional food of this festival is the mooncake, of which there are many different varieties. The Chinese festival is very traditional and a great way to celebrate.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the few most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, the others being Spring Festival and Winter Solstice, and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the fall harvesting season on this date. Traditionally on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomelos under the moon together.
So that's all we have from Wikipedia. Hahaha. There are many different stories on how this festival came about and why we eat mooncakes. Just Google it if you are interested. In case you were wondering, yes today 12th Sept is the day this year!
Where kids take lanterns, electric and the olders ones play with traditional lanterns and candles. Walking around the neighbourhood at night with so many colours and laughter. Tea and mooncakes for everyone. Loves it. I miss my childhood!
So far, the best traditional mooncake Ive had in Perth is from Maxim in Hong Kong or otherwise called Mei Xing. Dragon Palace has them and Emma's and VHT. VHT sold out real fast! Emma's too. I got myself the white lotus paste with double yolk. Yums. I can eat them all day but apaprently the calories are mad!
Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4–5 cm thick. A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2–3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea. Today, it is customary for businessmen and families to present them to their clients or relatives as presents,helping to fuel a demand for high-end mooncake styles. Mooncake energy content can vary with the filling and size; the average moon cake carries 800 to 1200 kcal, mainly from fats and sugar. The festival is intricately linked to the legends of Chang E, the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality.Most mooncakes consist of a thin, tender skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling, and may contain one or more whole salted egg yolks in its center to symbolise the full moon. Very rarely, mooncakes are also served steamed or fried.
Traditional mooncakes have an imprint on top consisting of the Chinese characters for "longevity" or "harmony", as well as the name of the bakery and the filling inside. Imprints of the moon, the Chang'e woman on the moon, flowers, vines, or a rabbit (symbol of the moon) may surround the characters for additional decoration.
More from Wikipedia...
Look at that glisten in the sunlight. YUMS.
Photos credits: mayydiaries.blogspot.com
That is the photo of the blueberry cheesecake snowskin mooncake from Wing Wah. I found it and it looks so good!
SO REMEMBER TO HAVE SOME MOONCAKE TODAY! And spend some lovely family time =)
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