From what I’ve learned, though I’m sure others know more, the Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon (or Mooncake) Festival, has happened for something like 3,000 years and is the second-most important holiday in China after Chinese New Year. According to one account I read, the festival originated when the Chinese emperor worshipped the moon in order to bring full harvests. According to another article I read, the tradition of eating mooncakes originated in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368). Secret messages were supposedly communicated through patterns formed on the mooncakes with the aim of forming a rebellion against the Mongols. The festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th month in the Chinese lunar calendar and involves worshipping the moon, lighting candles, and eating mooncakes. The round shape of the moon represents coming back together (in circular manner), so family reunions are central to the holiday. Traditional sweet mooncakes are filled with sweet fillings like bean paste, lotus seed paste, or dried fruits and nuts. Traditional savory mooncakes are filled with roast pork and radish or sausage. However, with the widening recognition of the Mid-Autumn Festival in various parts of the world and the widening appreciation and consumption of mooncakes, new fillings have included spiced apples, ice cream, jelly, tiramisu, eggs, chicken, diced ham and honey, mushrooms, and, I’m sure, many others.
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