The Mooncake Festival

This past weekend we attended the Moon Cake Festival also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the lunar calendar it falls on the 15th day of the eighth month, which on the solar calendar was September 14. It happens on that day because it is when the moon is at its maximum brightness for the year. The day is as much about the celebration of the harvest as it is about the Chinese philosophy of man being one with nature and achieving perfect harmony.

There are many legends for which the moon cake festival is based. The most famous, according to the Chinese, is the moon cakes role in Chinese history. The Chinese used moon cakes to plan their rebellion against the Mongols in the 13th Century. Moon cakes were distributed to the citizens with a hidden message telling them when to revolt. They were instructed not to eat the cakes until the moon festival, which is when the rebellion occurred. The Emperor took the city and moon cakes became more famous. It is the Chinese version of the Trojan Horse, it is unknown whether this legend is truth or fable.

Another legend, Allison's favorite, is about the "lady living in the moon". The Emperor ordered an archer to shoot down nine extra suns that appeared in the sky. The archer was rewarded with an immortality pill, however his wife took the pill and was banished to the moon. The legend says her beauty shines the brightest on the day of the Moon festival.

Moon cakes themselves are cakes about the size of a human palm. They are very filling as the interior is a paste which comes in many different flavors. Some flavors are lotus seed paste, mango, green tea, & durian. Some have a cooked egg yolk on the inside representing the full moon. They are an acquired taste and it is quite a business as we found out. There are numerous vendors that make the moon cakes, and you have an opportunity to sample them. Each comes in a box, some quite beautiful, which is as much (if not more) of the prize than the moon cake itself. Each moon cake is imprinted with Chinese writing and a design.

We enjoyed partaking in this tradition and trying the different moon cake flavors. The moon cakes are sold throughout Singapore for about 1 month prior to the Festival at different hotels and shops . It was fun to taste, watch them make the cakes and see an important part of the culture. We did get to see the full moon on our walk home and the circle of brightness around it was brighter than we had been aware of in the past. It was quite breathtaking. It gave us a new perspective when viewing the moon and the significance it has to many cultures.