Zhongqiu Jie - Mid – Autumn Festival

 

 
This festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month and since the seventh, eighth and ninth months make up the autumn season, this falls in the middle (15th) of September. As the first day of each lunar month is co-coordinated to fall on the new moon, the 15th is then always a full moon. It is said that this full moon is the brightest in the year and so moon viewing parties were traditionally held throughout China. The full moon in Chinese culture is a reference to family reunions and so the day is also referred to as ‘Day of Reunion’. There are many legends and stories about the moon, especially about the Lady Chang E who lives there. The moon is the quintessential Yin (feminine) in Chinese lore and so it was always by tradition, a woman who presided over the various ceremonies once held on this festival.
 

Special sweet pastries known as Moon Cakes are prepared for the occasion and are often swapped with friends and family at this time of the year. Indeed it can be fun to try out different moon cakes from the various regions of China. Next time you are in your local Asian market, stop and ask an assistant for their recommendation of which moon cakes to try. Take them with a little Chinese tea. My own favourites come from the Beijing Hotel and have walnut and lotus nut paste in them. Yummy! Also check-out the designs of the Moon Palace and other such motifs on the pastry cases when you buy them.

 

Some moon cakes have hard boiled eggs inside, resembling of course the full moon. These can provide a very different taste sensation for the uneducated western palate but are well worth the adventure! After the Mid Autumn Festival comes:
 

Qui Fen

This term refers to the Autumn Equinox. The name Qui-Fen is a reference to the equal distribution of Yin and Yang and is one of the twenty four solar divisions of the Chinese year. This means that during this period the sun is approximately directly overhead at the Equator and the length of the day is the same as night. In north China they reap the autumn harvest and sow the late autumn crops. This occasion falls in the middle of the eight month of the Lunar year and is usually marked around Sept 22- 24th. 
 
Information courtesy of Master Danny, Feng Shui Consultants New Zealand