Learn more about these much-loved Mid-Autumn festival treat!
One of the grandest Chinese festivals is the Mid-Autumn Festival, set to fall on 29th of September this 2023. During this time, the moon is believed to be at its brightest and roundest shape, hence why this auspicious holiday is also commonly known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival. In line with this belief, it has been a longstanding practice for thousands of years to share a mooncake with family and loved ones as it symbolises familial bonds and prosperity, inviting good fortunes for the year to come.
Here are some fun facts about the decade pastry you probably didn't know:
In case you missed it: Where to order mooncakes for Mid-Autumn Festival 2023
1. It all started with a love story
It is believed that the moon is at its biggest and roundest form during mid-Autumn season. Ancient Chinese emperors from the time Zhou period over 3,000 years ago started worshipping the celestial body, as they believed that it would bring them bountiful harvests the following year. They would offer sacrifices to the moon, a custom that was eventually accepted by the masses and became popular as time passed by.
It has been known that the very first person to offer sacrifices to the moon was Hou Yi, who was granted an immortality elixir after showing great skill with his arrow during his fight with nine out of 10 suns. He gave the elixir to his wife, Chang’e, who drank it all after an envious apprentice tried to steal it and flew to the moon. Since then, she became the Moon Goddess of Immortality.
To continue showing his love for her wife, he made her a cake (hence, “mooncake”) and would place it on their yard for Chang’e to see.
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