Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival or 中秋節 in Chinese, is the second largest holiday in Taiwan.  It is a harvest celebration and occurs when the moon is her biggest.  So, this year that is today, September 25th.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a national holiday in Taiwan.  So, that is why we had the four-day weekend.  However, Monday's work and classes will have to be made up this Saturday since Monday was not a national holiday.

To celebrate the Moon Festival, people share and eat mooncakes, BBQ with friends and family, and eat pomelos. 

Mooncakes are traditionally round Chinese pastries about the size of a biscuit.  (But, they taste nothing like a biscuit!) The outside is either flaky or soft, and then the middle is filled with  . . .well, a filling.  Fillings can range from a salted egg yoke to red bean to taro to green tea. 

Here are some of the mooncakes I was given last year:

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And there here are some other pics of typical mooncakes by flickrites who've given permission to use their photos:

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Another relatively new part of the Moon Festival celebration is to BBQ with friends and family.  BBQ here is quite different than in the States.  Namely--it is done on a much smaller grill and everyone is involved the whole time.  Another major difference would be the food items on the grill. :) (Can you tell what's on the foil in the first pic below?) 

Here are some photos from 2004's Mid-Autumn Festival BBQs with students.

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Pomelos--a grapefruit-like fruit--are also part of Mid-Autumn Festival.  Of course, you eat them, but you can also wear them on your head like a hat!

Happy Moon Festival!!

Photo Credits:
1. Pandan Mooncake, 2. Lotus Seed Paste Mooncake, 3. Snow skin red bean mooncake, 4. 中秋月餅 山水楼 小淵沢, 5. Mooncakes = Yum!, 6. 基隆詠盛餅店蛋黃酥 Yolk Moon Cake1. POMELO FRUIT, 2. Pomelo