Chinese Harvest Moon

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The Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration also known as the Moon Festival. It is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people. The origin of this celebration dates back 3,000 years to the moon worship in China’s Shang Dynasty. This special celebration is usually held on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Chinese calendar, which is usually in September or October on modern calendars. It is on this day because on this day, the moon is usually at its roundest and brightest. The Moon Festival is one of the most important holidays in the Chinese calendar, and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate this day as a way to mark the final days of their summer harvesting. Traditionally on this day, Chinese families gather together and celebrate in many ways. They gather for dinner, enjoy moon cake beneath the bright moon, put pomelo rinds on each other’s heads, burn incense to honor the deceased, and more. A traditional food eaten on this day is moon cake. Moon cake is considered a delicacy, and are only available for purchasing during this time of year. Typical moon cakes are rectangular shaped with a variety of different fillings. Some common fillings are lotus paste, sweet bean paste, jujube paste, five kernel paste, and salted egg yolk. It’s crust can be chewy, flaky, or tender. The story of how the Mid-Autumn Festival could never really be pinpointed. But as long as we get to celebrate and rejoice, does it really matter? The Mid- Autumn Festival is a time in which the Asian culture can show their spirit. This year, 2009, the Mid-Autumn Festival date was October

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