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Thursday, May 12, 2011

Mooncake Festival

The Mooncake Festival, also known as Mid-Autumn Festival is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. The Mooncake Festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese calendar. It is a date that paralles the autumnal equinox of the solar calendar, when the moon is at its fullest and roundest. The traditional foods of this festival is the mooncake, of which there are many different varieties.

Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea. Traditional mooncakes have an imprint on top consisitng of the Chinese characters for "longevity" or "harmony" as well as the filling in the mooncake.


Traditional mooncake is chewy, flaky and tender. Egg yolks flavour is my favourite!


Snowy mooncake is non-baked and usually come with 2 types of crusts such as glutinous rice and jelly.


Traditionally on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, eat mooncakes and pomelos under the moon together. Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural customs at stated below.




Burning incense in reverence to dieties including Chang'e. Chang'e is the Chinese goddess of the Moon. Unlike many lunar deities in other cultures who personify the Moon, Chang'e only lives on the Moon.




Fire Dragon Dances is a team of people carry the dragon. Dragon are believed to bring good luck to people, which reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, wisdom and auspiciousness.


Carrying brightly lit lanterns and play candles at night.


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