中秋节(the mid-autumn festival)
the mid-autumn festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the chinese calendar (usually around mid- or late-september in the gregorian calendar), a date that parallels the autumn equinox of the solar calendar. at this time, the moon is at its fullest and brightest, marking an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest. the traditional food of this festival is the mooncake, of which there are many different varieties.
the mid-autumn festival is one of the two most important holidays in the chinese calendar (the other being the chinese lunar new year), and is a legal holiday in several countries. farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date. traditionally, on this day, chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes together. it is also common to have barbecues outside under the moon, and to put pomelo rinds on one's head. brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children. together with the celebration, there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting mid-autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers, and fire dragon dances. shops selling mooncakes, before the festival, often display pictures of chang'e, floating to the moon.
mooncake is often eaten during the festival.typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. a thick pasty filling is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. mooncakes are rich, heavy, and dense compared with most western cakes and pastries. they are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by chinese tea.
