Mid Autumn Festival 中秋节

Chinese Word: 月饼 Yue Bing
Moon Cake
我祝大家中秋快乐！
I am wishing everyone a happy Mid Autumn Day!

Every year on the 15^th day of the 8^th month on the Chinese lunar calendar there is a special holiday called the Mid Autumn Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie).  There are many legends about the origin of the Mid Autumn Festival. The most popular one is about the goddess on the moon, Chang’e. The legend begins with Hou yi, a skilled archer. A long time ago the earth was surrounded by 10 suns, each one illuminating the earth at different times. One day all 10 suns appeared simultaneously, blistering the earth. Hou yi then shot down the suns with his arrows until only one remained. As a result the emperor gave Hou yi a pill that granted eternal life.

Emperor advised Houyi not to swallow the pill immediately but instead to prepare himself by praying and fasting for a year before taking it. Hou yi took the pill home and hid it under a rafter. One day, Hou yi was summoned away again by the Emperor and during her husband's absence, Chang'e, noticed a white beam of light beckoning from the rafters.  She had discovered the pill. Chang'e swallowed it and immediately found that she could fly. Hou yi returned home, realizing what had happened and he began to reprimand his wife. Chang'e escaped by flying out the window into the sky.

Hou yi pursued her halfway across the heavens but was forced to return to Earth because of strong winds. Chang'e reached the moon, where she coughed up part of the pill.Chang'e commanded the hare that lived on the moon to make another pill. Chang'e would then be able to return to Earth and her husband.

The legend states that the hare is still pounding herbs, trying to make the pill. Hou yi built himself a palace in the sun, representing "Yang" (the male principle), in contrast to Chang'e's home on the moon which represents "Yin" (the female principle). Once a year, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Hou yi visits his wife. That is the reason why it is said that the moon is very full and beautiful on that night.

Today and in the past, the Mid Autumn festival is celebrated by gathering with family and friends for a big dinner and a night of gazing at the moon. There is also the tradition of eating moon cakes also called yue bing (月饼). In Jinan and other modernizing cities some people do not return to their home simply because it is a one day holiday. I have spoken with many people who also plan to go shopping on the Mid Autumn day because of store discounts.  Even though some holiday customs are adapting to modern times, I am confident that the tradition of eating moon cakes will always remain.

(月饼 YUE BING) MOON CAKE

Moon cakes can have any type of filling inside them and they can have many different designs on them. I even saw a moon cake with a hello kitty design on it! The typically filling of a moon cake is made with fruit, nuts, or sweetened red beans. There is a very traditional type of moon cake that is even filled with a cooked duck egg.  My personal favorite moon cakes are the ones made with fruit filling.
My Mid Autumn Festival Dinner

(Back Row Left to Right: Petr from Czech, Robert-jan from Holland, Celine from France, Suzanna from Holland; Middle Row : Benjamin from France, Thibaud from France, Liu XinYing my finance teacher, Me( Jenny); Front Row: Liu Wanwan, Xiao bei)