Moon Festival

To Americans, autumn means harvest, colorful leaves, and crispness to the air. To the Chinese, the 15th of the 8th lunar month (Chicken Month) means it is time for the Chinese Moon Festival. Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is a time when families get together, sing moon poems, and celebrate the harvest by eating moon cakes. It is also a night of romance for couples who will watch the moon rise and eat moon cakes and drink wine.

There are some legendary moon stories to tell during this time. The story of Chang Er describes her as floating to the moon and it is said that you can see her dancing on the moon at this special time of the year. Read more stories about Wu Kang, the Jade Rabbit, and the moon cake at http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/midfallstory.htm. Additional books on the Chinese Moon Festival can be found on the Family Culture website.

Moon cakes can be purchased at Chinese bakeries or markets. They symbolize longevity and good heath. The centers of the cakes may have dried fruit, coconut, pineapple, melon, red bean paste or lotus seed paste. You may also want to try to bake your own.