For centuries, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been deemed by the Chinese as the second most important festival after the Spring Festival, during which time family members will reunite and enjoy the grand view of the full moon together, as well as celebrating the harvest with delicate food.
According to the Chinese lunar calendar, Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.
History
Associated with beautiful folklore, Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations date back more than 2,000 years.The word "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the ancient book Zhou Li (The Zhou Rituals, which detailed rituals in the Zhou Dynasty).In the old days, Chinese emperors chose the night of the 15th day of the eighth lunar month to hold a ceremony to praise the moon.The festival took its name from the fact that it's celebrated in the middle of autumn, and because at this time of year the moon is at its roundest and brightest.
It was not until the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) that the day was officially celebrated as a traditional festival.It became an established festival during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and became increasingly famous for the next few centuries, while more rituals and local food have been created to celebrate this festival.
Cuisine
Considered as a harvest festival and a time for gathering the family together, the Mid-Autumn Festival is famous for its round cakes, known as mooncakes.The full moon is a symbol of family reunion, while eating mooncakes and watching the full moon is a crucial part of the festival.
According to Chinese historical records, mooncakes were initially served as a sacrifice to the moon.The word "mooncake" first appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and is now the most popular festive food on the dinner table during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Though most mooncakes appear to look the same, the flavors differ from region to region.For instance, in the northern part of China, people prefer sweet and dense custard fillings with salted egg yolk, red bean paste or nuts, while in the southern regions, people prefer fillings of ham or roast pork.
In modern times, inventions and new ideas have been added to traditional mooncakes.Some foreign food brands, such as Haggen-Dazs, have even cooperated with Chinese mooncake producers to create new flavors such as vanilla ice cream.The traditional cakes are enjoying a new lease of life.
