This past Monday, we had the day off for the Mid-Autumn Festival. It’s a day for lanterns, legends, and, most importantly, mooncakes!
Mid-Autumn Fest is a lunar holiday that centers around Chang’e, a moon goddess. According to legend, the Earth used to have 10 suns that caused a terrible drought. Hou Yi, the husband of Chang’e, was called upon to shoot 9 of the 10 suns with a bow. He succeeded and was rewarded with an elixir of immortality, which he planned on sharing with his wife. While Hou Yi was out one day, Feng Meng, his evil apprentice, broke into their home in an attempt to steal the elixir. To stop him, Chang’e drank the elixir and became immortal, taking the moon as her new home.
Lanterns are a huge part of Mid-Autumn Festival. Kids are encouraged to decorate their own, although you can buy pre-decorated lanterns as well. They float under the bright golden moon like giant stars, lighting up the night. In Hong Kong, lantern carnivals are held annually for the holiday.
Mooncakes are thick pastries made of lotus seed paste and duck egg yolk. They’re traditionally stuffed with meat, however, more recently sweet versions have become popular. Many people believe that during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), secret messages were baked into the mooncakes by the Han revolutionaries in order to form an uprising against the Mongolians.
Whether you’re a creative lantern designer, a descriptive story-teller, or a lavish baker, you’ll definitely find some way to celebrate!
Way Out Wanderer 