Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Yummy moon cakes

Tomorrow, September 25th, is the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in China. You can find moon cakes on every street corner and in all the large grocery stores, sold in elaborate box sets and individually. Naturally, we have been sampling them for the last week, since they come in all kinds of flavors. On the way up to the apartment this afternoon--armed with the four moon cakes in the picture--we ran into Mr. Song (Clyde) and Mrs. He (the "manageress" of the building). They spied our bag and were surprised to see that we had moon cakes. Not because we aren't Chinese, I suppose, but because we're a day early. I didn't admit to the many cakes we've already consumed.

From lower left going clockwise: candied fruit and nuts; sesame (?) paste; strawberry jelly bean (I'm sure that's not what it's called but it tastes like that); bean paste. There are also savory cakes but I haven't come across any yet.

The only thing I have around that tells me about the Moon Festival is in a kid's book of Chinese holidays and accompanying activities that I brought with me from home. I'm sure I could find lots of information on the web, and I did look, but after the many viruses Dave keeps bringing home from the campus computers, not to mention Lynette-next-door's experience of having her entire computer temporarily shut down due to visiting a Chinese web site, I decided to just give you the undoubtedly watered-down kid's version of the holiday. So here goes:

When the days grow shorter and the balmy breezes of summer are replaced by the brisk chill of fall, it is time to prepare for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, which is also called the Harvest Moon Festival. On the evening of the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the moon appears at its brightest, and for one night only it is said to be perfectly round.

Because the moon festival honors the female goddess of the moon, the women in the family prepare for the holiday. Houses are cleaned from top to bottom, and "moon papers," or bright posters, are hung near the door. [...] Candles are set out, and apples, persimmons, grapes, and melons--all round, like the moon--are arranged on platters. Everything is readied for the moon ceremony, which takes place at night.

When the moon is nearing its total roundness, candles are lit and incense is burned. Women and girls bow to the moon, and they honor the moon rabbit [who is said to live in the moon]. The moon papers are folded and burned, and tea is served with a variety of moon cakes.

--from Moonbeams, Dumplings and Dragon Boats (by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz, & The Children's Museum, Boston)

I forgot to mention that on every other street corner you can find vendors selling big boxes of apples, grapes, peaches, and pomegranates. Judging by the number of people I see on the streets carrying fruit and moon cakes, I'm sure the above description is at least partly accurate.

So on Tuesday night, look out your windows and see the same beautifully full and round moon that I will see tomorrow night, look for the rabbit in the moon, and enjoy the last days of summer and the coming of autumn.