Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival and What’s a Mooncake?

What is the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival? (Plus Mooncakes!)

Happy 中秋节(zhong qiu jie-jong-chyoh-jyeah) or Happy Mid-Autumn’s Festival! Dating back for over 3 centuries, this widely celebrated ethnic festival is considered a public holiday in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan (known as Tsukimi), South Korea (Chuseok), and many more. This celebration takes place on the 15th of the eighth month according to the lunar calendar, October 4th, by the Gregorian calendar.

The story of how this holiday came about begins with the tragic love story between a beautiful goddess named Chang’e and her husband, Hou Yi, who was an excellent archer. One day, his skills were desperately needed when ten suns rose over the earth, causing extreme disaster to humans. But, Hou Yi saved the mortal world by shooting down all but one sun to provide warmth and sunlight for the humans. As a reward, he was awarded the elixir of immortality by the immortal queen. However, this caused jealously by Hou Yi’s apprentice, Meng, who strategized to steal potion. Coincidentally, Chang’e was at home the night he broke into the house. She refused to give him and swallowed the elixir knowing well what the results were. She immediately flew up into the sky, but due to her love for her husband, she choose to live in the moon for the rest of her life. Hou Yi was devastated upon hearing the news and every year, he looked up to his wife and offered her her favorite fruits and cakes. After the story of Chang’e and Hou Yi spread throughout the country, it became a tradition to worship the moon every year on the 15th of the eighth month, on the day when the moon is shining its biggest and brightest.

The mooncake later on symbolized the main tradition of this holiday. Depending on the region, the mooncakes can be made with lots of different flavors and fillings, like more savory flavors such as pork as well as sweeter fillings like red bean paste. All in all, the roundness of the mooncakes symbolize unity and togetherness. Family and friends give and receive mooncakes to wish them a happy and long life.

We, at HungerPass, wishes everybody a very happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

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Originally published at HungerPass.