Moon Fesitval

Today is the celebration of the Moon Festival.  This is a day for family to get together, lovers to sit together, all watching the first full moon of the autumn season.

Be on the alert for Moon Cakes, they are fattening!  As reported in the LA Times, Moon Cakes are the top choice for desert on this special day.  Yummy.  If you have not stocked already with a box of Moon Cakes and do not know where to look,  China Town might be a good bet or check out this resource in another Times article.

This anent Chinese Festival has its roots in legend.  In a distant time across the oceans in the mythical time of Yi a great archer, the legend was born of how he shot the moon.  No not in the 20th century sense of “shooting the moon” but literally with a bow and arrow.  In another old Chinese story Chang Er flew to the moon, where she has lived ever since.   During the Moon Festival you might see her dancing on the full moon of Autumn.

The Chinese Moon Festival is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.  In the Chinese Calender it is usually marked in big Orange or Yellow letters as something very special.  It’s also known as the Mid-autumn Festival and  is deeply embedded in Chinese and Vietnam tradition.  The Moon Festival is one of the most important events for the Chinese taking the place of Thanksgiving and Christmas here in the West.

The Moon Festival is a time for families and reunions.  When the full moon rises, families get together to have parties, eat and watch the full moon.  Giving and eating moon cakes is a part of the festivities.   For the Chinese the Fall Festival is a celebration of harvest much like Thanksgiving is here in the West.  This is just one other reason why the Chinese are so fond of the Moon Festival time.

The Moon Festival is also a romantic one. A perfect night for the festival is if it is a quiet night without a silk of cloud and with a little mild breeze from the sea. Lovers spend such a romantic night together tasting the delicious moon cake with some wine while watching the full moon. Even for a couple who can’t be together, they can still enjoy the night by watching the moon at the same time so it seems that they are together at that hour. A great number of poetry has been devoted to this romantic festival. Hope the Moon Festival will bring you happiness.

The moon cake is the food for the Moon Festival. The Chinese eat the moon cake at night with the full moon in the sky.  From About Chinese Culture.

So, tonight family and friends will gather here while some mad Occidental cooks up traditional Western food for the hungry.  We will finish up the evening by sipping wine, laughing at the moon and just maybe eating a moon cake or two.  Thinking about it now most likely it is best to cut one of those beaties up into a couple of pieces and share it among friends.  Less calories that way and more fun to share.