Mid Autumn Festival

Yesterday (9/25), China celebrated mid-Autumn Day, called zhong qiu jie (中秋节) in Chinese.

The holiday, also known as the Moon Festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. On this night, the moon is supposed to be at its fullest and brightest and is the time to celebrate the summer's harvest.

While in the west, we may talk about the "man in the moon," Chinese legend places a woman in the moon. Chang'e, the lunar goddess presides over the celebration.

On this day, the Chinese gather together to share a meal with their families. Some also sing songs and light lanterns before everyone goes outside to look at the moon and eat mooncakes, the traditional food of the holiday.

Mooncakes are little desert-like pastries that are usually made with either fruit, nuts, or an egg stuffed inside. I have yet to try a mooncake that I really enjoyed and the consensus from most of the people I ask is that they are only "so-so." Perhaps it is an oriental equivalent to fruitcake. Regardless of the taste, vendors set up on sidewalks everywhere and sell tons of mooncakes in the days leading up to the festival.

Not being able to enjoy the day with our families, Janet and I were happy to receive an invitation to join some of the other English teachers for a celebration dinner at a Western-style restaurant. The restaurant was located in a part of town I had not visited before, but the food was good and I'll be sure to go back sometime soon.

After enjoying dinner, we all left to take a walk in a nearby park that bordered the seaside. We enjoyed the full moon, which was luckily visible by this time; it had rained all day on Monday and most of the morning on Tuesday. The park was filled with Chinese families, some walking around, others sitting in the grass eating mooncakes.

It was a good evening and nice to have other people to celebrate the Moon festival with. Now it is time to go back to classes for just a few days before we turn around and enjoy a second week of vacation for the National Day holiday, beginning October 1.