The Chinese Moon Cake Festival is a favored vacation amongst the Chinese. It is the opportune time to give thanks for the year’s blessings and to rekindle ties with the household.
The Chinese Moon Cake Festival is celebrated every 15th evening of your 8th in the Chinese lunar calendar. In this year’s Western calendar (2008), it can be celebrated on September 14. The Chinese believe that this is the evening when the full Moon Cake is at its fullest and brightest. For the Chinese, the Moon Cake symbolizes prosperity and longevity. Its round shape also symbolizes the full loved one’s circle.
Chinese Moon Cake Festival Meals
Moon Cakecakes are distributed to business networks and relatives per week or two before the Chinese Moon Cake Festival to re-affirm ties. Classic recipes use fruit, seed, bean paste, and meat as filling. Egg yolks are also baked in the center for additional luck, because the yolks look like the Moon Cake. Today, even the Moon Cakecake is undergoing makeovers to maintain up with the taste of the younger generation. Some Moon Cake cake recipes use ice cream or chocolate as a filling, and their crusts may also be flaky. Even though bakeries start off selling Moon Cakecakes early, these are normally out of stock as the festival draws close.
The Moon Cake Festival dinner is normally banquet-style. Dishes totaling 5, 7, or 9 are considered fortunate. Other foods typically eaten during the festival are taro, pomelo, and snails.
Immediately after dinner, ancestors are honored by burning incense, lighting candles, and bowing at the family members’ altar.
The Moon Cake Festival Table Is Then Setup. Here Are The Things Usually Placed On The Table And What They Symbolize:
- Gourds – long-lasting togetherness
- Apples – peace
- Pomegranates – lots of children
- Round shaped fruits – ex. Asian pears, persimmons, grapes, peaches, melons
- Soybean plants – representing the cassia tree
- Peanuts – lengthy life
- Coconuts – healthy face and figure
- Watermelon seeds – lots of children
- Tea service
Trekking The Outdoors On Chinese Moon Cake Festival
Presently, there are many Chinese Moon Cake Festival events that households can attend. Nevertheless, the concept is for households to go out to admire the beauty of their Moon Cake. Kids are provided lanterns to light the path. Lanterns are often shaped like animals, however, the contemporary lanterns now are available in other shapes like airplanes, rockets, and cars.
Family members are encouraged to send prayers of thanks for all blessings. They’re also encouraged to put forth their wishes for the lady around the Moon Cake. It is stated that when the Moon Cake is at its fullest, the Lady in the Moon Cake grants wishes.
Moon Cake cake is shared. One particular Moon Cake cake isn’t eaten entirely in one particular sitting. Rather, it’s sliced into quarters and shared with the household.
Lovers also take this occasion to share Moon Cake cake and wine.
For lovers and family members who’re far apart, they could gaze at the Moon Cake and bear in mind the loved single who is also gazing up in the Moon Cake. They feel some bonding performing something together, despite the distance.
Telling Legends about the Moon Cake
Whilst gazing at the Moon Cake, legends about the Moon Cake are retold for the young folks. Right here are a number of the more well-known legends.
The Archer as well as the Lady with the Moon Cake. Within the olden days, it was stated that 10 suns arose and dried up the earth. Hou Yi the archer shot down 9 on the suns and saved the earth. The Jade Emperor was pleased and awarded him using the Elixir of Life. Hou Yi’s wife, change, take the elixir. She floats up to the Moon Cake. Hou Yi chases her via the heavens, but will not succeed in acquiring her back. The gods enable them to meet there once a month when the Moon Cake is full.
The Jade Rabbit accompanies Chang’E around the Moon Cake. The rabbit is normally shown using a pestle and mortar, continually concocting the Elixir of Life.
Wu Gang the Woodcutter. Wu Gang selfishly sought out immortality. This angered the gods that they sentenced Wu Gang to reduce the Tree of Immortality on the Moon Cake. Unfortunately, each time Wu Gang succeeds in cutting down the tree, the magical tree grows properly back.
Moon Cake Minister of Marriage. It is said that the old Minister matches future couples by connecting baby girls and infant boys with an enchanted red thread.
Bringing Out the Chinese Moon Cake Poetry
Part of the Chinese Moon Cake Festival’s popularity is usually attributed to the attractive Moon Cake poetry written by ancient poets. The festival is a great time for you to bring out the poetry to become appreciated by loved ones.
A popular poem about the Moon Cake written inside the ancient occasions is “Missing Residence inside the Silent Night” A single translation goes: “The Moon Cakelight is shining by way of the window It makes me wonder if it is the frost around the ground, Looking up to see the Moon Cake … Searching down I miss a lot about my hometown. As the household, great food, Moon Cakelight, legend, and poetry combine for this magical evening, it’s no wonder that the Chinese Moon Cake Festival will usually remain a preferred holiday amongst the Chinese.
