The Han Chinese, as the story goes, used the moon cakes to hide the message that the rebellion was to happen on Mid-Autumn Day. Eventually, the cakes became known as ‘moon cakes.’Īfter Taizong received the cakes, he began to share them with his advisors and officials, thus beginning the tradition of sharing moon cakes with family and friends.Īccording to another legend, the moon cakes were central to the uprising of the Han Chinese over their Mongol overlords at the end of the Yuan dynasty (1280-1368). According to legend, a Turpan businessman offered Emperor Taizong of Tang the cakes following his victory against Xiongnu on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month.Īfter receiving the cakes, Taizong held up the cake to the moon and compared their shapes. The history behind moon cakes is long and varied. READ MORE: How Calorie-Packed Moon Cakes Tip the Scales (Even popular Western brands make their own moon cakes.) The typical moon cake is only a few inches in diameter and is traditionally filled with either five kernel and pork, red bean paste or lotus seed paste, however, more contemporary styles and fillings, such as cookies and ice cream, are becoming increasingly popular. The correct way to eat them is for the senior member of the household to cut them into slices and distribute them to the family. The round shape symbolizes completeness and reunion and is traditionally gifted to family and friends to symbolize unity and completeness. Moon cakes, those pastries you’re seeing everywhere at the moment, are absolutely central to the Mid-Autumn Festival. As such, offerings may be made to the lunar deity Chang’e (pictured above), who is also known as ‘The Moon Goddess of Immortality.’ Moon cakes Moon worship was central to early Chinese belief, as the moon symbolized rejuvenation and fertility among women and the harvest. However, the festival only started gaining in popularity in the period of the early Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) following Emperor Xuanzong of Tang’s decision to start holding formal celebrations after exploring the Moon-Palace. The term ‘Mid-Autumn’ first appeared in the Rites of Zhou written between 1046-771 BCE. The festival began with the worshipping of the Mountain Gods following the completed harvest. This ancient festival dates back to the harvest celebrations of Shang Dynasty (c.16th to 10th Century BCE). This year the festival falls on Saturday, September 10, and – not to be denied our holiday just because it falls on the weekend – we get Monday, September 12 off work. Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the ‘Harvest Moon Festival’ or ‘Moon Cake Festival,’ is the traditional Chinese holiday held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar.Ĭalled Zhōngqiū Jié (中秋节) in Mandarin and Jūng-chāu Jit (中秋節) in Cantonese, the festival is celebrated across the length and breadth of the Chinese mainland as well as in Hong Kong and Taiwan. The Explainer is where we explain an aspect of Chinese life.
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