Mid-Autumn Festival

Here in China, everyone is getting ready for the upcoming Holiday on September 14th, the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival. In short, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for loved ones to gather together, eat moon cakes and other delectable foods, and look at the big, bright, beautiful "harvest" moon. This Holiday reflects and signifies that the moon around this time is a welcoming sight and friend to the people. The moon can light one's way to their home and family, if parted...it represents the maturity of rice and thus, a good harvest...it also inspires thoughts of home and people gazing at the same big moon leagues apart from one another. There are many traditions, myths, legends and history that come with the Holiday and the link below further explains them MUCH better than I can:

http://www.chinatravel.com/focus/mid-autumn-festival/

This is a great Holiday, especially for us expats who miss home! It has inspired many poets and musicians throughout the centuries to write and sing about being parted from their loved ones and it specifically encourages people to GO HOME to be together! This Holiday can be compared to the American Thanksgiving Holiday. Many people here are wishing each other a "Happy Reunion with Loved Ones". What an enchanting wish for people!

Since August, there have been an ever increasing number of moon cakes sold at stores. There are a ton of different types and varieties! As with any Chinese food, the moon cakes have, over time, been a reflection of the different provinces throughout China. Traditionally, moon cakes have taken the shape of the full moon. They consist of a "pastry-like?" shell (with many fine layers) and contain either sweet or savory fillings. The better variety (according to the locals) are made with more than one egg, making it very rich in taste. From the picture above, you can see that the tops of the moon cakes have intricate detail, carving some kind of traditional Chinese pattern or writing.

As I mentioned, many poems and song lyrics have been written for this time of year. They are beautiful in their simplicity.

Poems...
Jing Ye Si (Thoughts in the Silent Night) by Li Bai (Li Po).

Chuang qian ming yue guang
Yi shi di shang shuang.
Ju tou wang ming yue,
Di tou si gu xiang.

(translation)
Before my bed, there is bright-lit moonlight
So that it seems, like frost on the ground:
Lifting my head, I watch the bright moon
Lowering my head, I dream that I'm home.

The Mid-Autumn Moon by Li Qiao

A full moon hangs high in the chilly sky,

All say it's the same everywhere, round and bright.

But how can one be sure thousands of li away

Wind and perhaps rain may not be marring the night?

Song Lyrics...
The Moon Festival By Su Shi

Bright moon, when was your birth?

Winecup in hand, I ask the deep blue sky;

Not knowing what year it is tonight. In those celestial palaces on high.

I long to fly back one the wind,Yet dread those crystal towers, those courts of jade,

Freezing to death among those icy heights!

Instead I rise to dance with my pale shadow;

Better off, after all, in the world of men.

Rounding the red pavilion,

Stooping to look through gauze windows,

She shines on the sleepless.

The moon should know no sadness;Why, then, is she always full when dear ones are parted?

For men the grief of parting, joy of reunion, Just as the moon wanes and waxes, is bright or dim:

Always some flaw-and so it has been since of old.

My one wish for you, is long life

And a share in this loveliness far, far away!

*This is a famous Mid-Autumn lyric written for his brother Zi-you(1039-1112) when the poet was away from the imperial court. According to some commentators, "the palace on high" might allude to the imperial palace and therefore, after reading this lyric, Emperor Song Shen Zong said that Su Shi was loyal.

It's a lovely Holiday. I love what it represents. I can't wait to help this country celebrate it!