After Lunar New Year, Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival, is one of the two most important festivals in Asian countries. In accordance with the lunar calendar, it is celebrated on the 15th night of the eighth month, during the full moon.
This year, it will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2022. This date is not fixed, it varies from year to year and depends on the lunar cycle. It usually takes place between September and early October.
This night is very special because the moon is the brightest and the roundest of the whole year. In Asian culture, it is the perfect time for the whole family to gather.
It is not by chance that the ancient Asian generations chose this date to celebrate this holiday. Originally, during the period when most Asian countries were still agricultural countries, the Mid-Autumn Festival was born to celebrate the end of the rice harvest. The more beautiful the moon is, the more promising the quality of the harvest.
Several activities are organized such as contemplating the moon or walking under the moon. In urban areas, public spaces such as parks, schoolyards, and main streets are decorated with large lit lanterns to facilitate nighttime family activities.
Mooncake is a dessert originating from China. It celebrates the victory of the emperor Tang Taizong (Li Shimin) and his general Li Jing against the Mongolian Yuan dynasty. This circular and colorful dessert was invented by the merchant of the city Chang'an. Sometimes this custom varies between different regions. In Shanghai (southern China), ravioli (xiao long bao or huntun) is the most popular dish, rather than moon cakes. In Korea, families share a large meal of first harvest foods together which includes about 20 dishes.
There are also other versions of this dessert in other countries. For example, the Vietnamese have their own moon cake named "bánh nướng" (made of wheat dough and represents the earth) and "bánh dẻo" (made of rice dough which represents the moon). Inside, there may be lotus seed paste, mung bean paste or black sesame paste, etc. and sometimes with one or more salted egg yolks.
Japanese people eat "dango" which are created with mochi (glutinous rice paste) dumplings. In Japan, the moon festival is associated with the image of the rabbit, that's why the "dango" are often shaped like a small rabbit. On the other hand, tsukimi udon is also one of the favorite dishes of Japanese people during this period.
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