Guest Author - Linda J. Paul

From mid August until the end of November, world wide harvest festivals abound. And, China is no exception to the rule. The old Chinese calendar is a lunar calendar, so the moon was a very important signal of what crops to plant when. On the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, when the moon is at its most brilliant in the skies over China, a spectacular festival is held to honor the Goddess Chang-O and her legions of the moon.

Mooncakes are an important part of the offerings to the Goddess on this day.
These small round cakes symbolize family unity and perfection. Some have a yellow egg yoke center which represents the bright moon. A traditional mooncake is made of sweet bean-paste filling with a golden brown flaky crust. It is common for the baker who baked the cakes to emboss them on the top with their insignia. Making the bean-paste filling for the cakes in labor intensive, often requiring two to three weeks of preparation. Many families today decide to purchase ready made cakes from bakeries instead of making the cakes themselves. Modern day bakers offer mooncakes made with yogurt, jelly or ice-cream fillings, and even offer a fat-free variety. However, the traditional bean-paste filling with egg yolk still remains the most popular.

Legend has it that Chinese mooncakes helped to bring about a revolution. In 1280 AD, the Mongolians destroyed the Song Dynasty and controlled China during the Yuan Dynasty (1280 AD -1368 AD). Under Mongolian rule, Chinese people were oppressed, persecuted and treated like slaves. Finally, the Chinese had enough and planned a revolution to be held during the August Moon Festival in 1368.

A Chinese rebel leader named Liu Fu Tong came up with a plan to help to spur the Chinese people to rise up against the ruling Mongols and end the suppressive dynasty. Liu obtained permission from the Mongolian leaders to pass out gifts to his friends as a symbolic gesture to honor the longevity of the Mongolian Emperor.

The gifts were mooncakes, which were not a part of the Mongolian diet. Liu put pieces of paper in each mooncake with the date of the planned revolt. The date of the revolt was the fifteenth night of the eighth lunar month. When the people cut the cakes open and found the message, they all arrived on that day to overthrow the Mongols, thus ending the Yuan dynasty. Today, many Chinese communities make and eat mooncakes during the Harvest Moon Festival to honor this tradition.

For Chinese children, this is the day of their Lantern Festival. Lanterns in the shapes of animals, cars, and airplanes flicker and glow in trees and on the roofs of houses. This august festival is traditionally seen as a night for making new friends and renewing old friendships.

Families walk together under the stars, admiring the moon. And if they are lucky enough, they may even catch a glimpse of Chang-O, the woman in the moon.

To read more about Chang-O and her part in the Chinese Harvest Moon Festival, follow the attached link.