Before beginning this post, I went to the NBC web-site to see if there were any news stories related to it. I realized that China's holidays would not be a lead story, but I was sure there would be some references. To my surprise, the ongoing, simultaneous, celebrations of China's "Birthday" and of one of her most significant annual holidays (The Mid-Autumn Festival) were not mentioned anywhere! I admit I did not search too hard, but I didn't think I would have to. These events are the ONLY STORIES here. I wish I were more scholarly and able to do justice to the subjects. Because I am not, a brief summary and some pictures will have to do. This post will try to enlighten readers about the Autunm Festival. (I'll post later about the National Holiday. Maybe it WILL get coverage in the USA and it will be old news!)
Every fall, on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, China celebrates the mid-autumn festival. This tradition can be traced back to 2170 BC. It is a time when family members gather for meals, especially the eating of "Moon Cakes" and pomelos (picture included - it's a giant grapefruit.). There are several legends that surround the festival and highlight our celestial giant, the moon. (Google the "Moon Featival" and read about Chang-O or the Jade Rabbit.) It is also customary to decorate with colorful lanterns and stay up with family members and gaze at the moon.
Since our family is a part of a chapter of "Families With Children From China of East Tennessee - FCC-ET" we have had the pleasure of participating in several Knoxville-based celebrations of the Moon Festival. I thought I had a really good idea of how this worked. In Knoxville, we would gather at a park on a full moon evening. Among those present, there was usually some vague discussion about what a moon-cake was. Then we would eat various round foods with our girls (eg: cookies, pizza), make paper lanterns, read a legend, and march with flashlights around the park. We also shared other tasty foods, pot-luck style and enjoyed the company of our "family" of other friends with the common China adoption experience. The togetherness was definitely "authentic" Chinese. BUT, it is the "Moon Cakes" that have made an impression on me as we experience our first Mid-Autunm festival.
Moon cakes are EVERYWHERE! There are special displays in every store & hotel lobby. Ladies in special costunes stand near the displays and escort buyers to the check-outs. Though you can get reasonably priced ones in individual wrappers, many boxes of 4-6 small cakes cost $20 -$30 USD and much higher! They are wrapped elaborately and boxed beautifully and given as gifts by everyone, to everyone. Bill came through the door day after day exclaiming "more Moon Cakes!" He and others in his office got many from various vendors.
And what IS a "Moon Cake"? It is a cookie-ish/cake-ish outer crust, stamped on the top with pictures or chinese characters. Inside is a filling which is the consistency of very thick peanut butter. It is made from lotus seed paste and tastes sort of nutty/sweet/salty. In the very center is a whole egg yolk which (apparently) has dried or baked intact in the process of making the cakes. It is - I surmise - the moon! (I opened a moon cake to take a picture for this post and it had TWO MOONS! I probably would have double good fortune if I ate it - but I didn't....)
I have concluded that moon cakes could be compared to that US holiday "favorite": the fruit cake. They must be an acquired taste - surely somebody eats them because they are produced in great quantities. We ate some of our moon cakes, then we shared them with workers, neighbors, everybody! But they seemed to multiply in our pantry! We'd give one and receive two! The only variety that did NOT multiply was the unique "Dove Chocolate" mooncakes sent by some Chinese friends who know the family weakness. Enjoy the included photos of (only some of) our moon cakes. Also, I included a photo of the MANY gorgeous lanterns installed near the entry of our neighborhood.
Enjoy the moon....it's the same one we're gazing at here in China..... Happy autumn!
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