Chinese Mooncake and Mid-Autumn Festival
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Why the Mid Autumn Festival Is Celebrated
In the past, the Mid Autumn Festival was celebrated at harvest time. Ancient Chinese emperors worshiped the moon in autumn to thank it for the harvest. The ordinary people took the Mid-Autumn Festival to be a celebration of their hard work and harvest. Nowadays, people mainly celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival as a time for family reunions.
When the Mid Autumn Festival Become a Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival has a history of over 3,000 years. It was derived from the custom of moon worshiping during the Shang Dynasty (c.1600–1046 BC). After that, it was first celebrated as a national festival during the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127).
People have long believed that worshiping the moon and eating together around a round table will bring them good luck and happiness.
What Food Is Eated during Mid-Autumn Festival
- Mooncake
- Grapes
- Crabs
- Duck
- Pomeloes
- Pear
- Liquor
Mooncakes are the must-eat Mid-Autumn food in China. They are a traditional Chinese pastry. Chinese people see in the roundness of mooncakes a symbol of reunion and happiness.
Other foods eaten during the festival are harvest foods, such as crabs, pumpkins, pomeloes, and grapes. People enjoy them at their freshest, most nutritious, and auspicious meanings are particularly associated with round foods.