The Mid-Autumn Festival, better known as Moon Festival or Moon Cake Festival is a special cultural festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian countries. The word “moon” in its Chinese meaning means “compass.” The festival is one of the most important national holidays in China, highly celebrated with great gusto by millions of its citizens. This spectacular festival is one of the biggest gatherings of people in the country for three days.
When the Chinese lunar calendar is believed to be aligned with the sun, the festival is usually celebrated on the new moon night. The mooncakes are beautifully decorated and normally consist of moon cakes in the shape of lanterns. Some moon cakes are so exquisitely decorated that they may be eaten as food. They have become the national delicacy in China. Many hotels and other establishments around the country serve moon cakes during this special occasion.
Traditionally, moon cakes were laden with all kinds of moon cake goodies. They often had fruits, nuts, and flowers on top of the mooncakes, or even incorporated other ingredients such as jello. They were primarily served to mark the New Year and were then eaten by children as a symbol of good luck and prosperity. However, they are also now used as an important part of the Chinese lunar new year celebration.
The moon cakes during the mid-autumn festival are usually very rich in moon cakes decorations, usually including colorful streamers and ribbons, large jars of fruits and vegetables, and starry moon confections. These decorations make the moon cake looks like it has emerged from the night of the full moon. Traditionally, moon cakes are not eaten by people who are ill or on a diet, but many would eat moon cakes just to look fashionable. They can also be eaten as a delicious snack during late nights.
You should visit China before the full moon in October for this special festival. In most places in China, moon cakes are baked and served during the mid-autumn festival. You will find many moon cake stalls in the downtown areas of most Chinese cities during this time, and there will even be larger moon cake shops around. When visiting China, take along a package of your favorite moon cake recipe, and try to find moon cake makers from Shanghai and Fujian. There are some talented bakeries there.
The sky is the limit when it comes to customization. You can use your special colors, patterns, or images for decorations. To make your moon cake even more special, you can use a professionally baked, customized, and decorated moon cake. The sky is the only limit. So why not celebrate the weirdest event in your calendar?
