In a few days’ time, the Chinese community all over the world will be celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. Locally, here, in South East Asia, it is often referred to as the Moon Cake Festival.
Yes, it’s self-explanatory. Moon cakes are eaten on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar moon. On this night, the moon is at its most round and very bright.
Children carry lanterns, while adults eat moon cakes and admire the beauty of the moon. The lanterns come in all shapes and sizes. The popular ones are the fish, the rabbit, the star but some trendy ones such as Hello Kitty, Thomas the Tank Engine or a Robot are also sold. Some have battery operated lights while others still use candles.
The moon cake is round, symbolizing the moon. Bakeries have come up with many different flavors although the basic filling is still lotus paste. A traditional moon cake is baked and filled with lotus paste with a salted egg yolk at its center, representing the moon.
A popular variation is the snow skin moon cake which is not baked. It is usually refrigerated and eaten cold. It also comes in different flavors and colors, such as white, pink, green or purple.
Moon cakes are often exchanged as gifts during this festival. However, this year, the price of moon cakes has shot up and the increase has made it unaffordable to the average man in the street. Yet the tradition is so strong that most people will tighten their belts and buy a couple of moon cakes to celebrate the occasion. Gone are the days when one could afford to buy boxes and boxes and give them away as gifts.
There are also small pastries in the shape of the pig sold in plastic baskets, for the children as they normally do not eat moon cakes.
In Singapore, Chinatown this year was not as gaily festooned as last year when huge flowers were strung across the road, making the place look beautiful and festive. Instead, there were fish lanterns hung across the road.
Small animals of the Chinese Zodiac were hung across the road and near the main intersection, there was a structure to which all the animals of the zodiac were attached.
On the central divider, there were figures representing the different communities as well as the colorful zodiac animals.
Somehow I didn’t get the feel of the festive occasion but this could be due to the fact that I wasn’t able to walk around Chinatown as I have a fractured toe and it was in a splint which did not allow me to walk much.
To those who are celebrating the Moon Cake Festival, have a lovely evening, enjoy your moon cakes and admire the beautiful round moon. A truly romantic occasion!
