I have received a couple of lovely mooncake gifts just recently and I’ve been receiving so for many years and so I thought to know why many friends are sending them over. I’ve never given these kinds of gifts to anyone and I thought it’s time for me to know why these delicious treats are favorite gift items by many.
And so I found out that the mooncake festival is near – September 21, 2021 and it’s an Asian festivity on the day when the moon is the brightest, and meant to gather, give thanks and pray for personal wishes or for a good future. This means that when someone sends you mooncake this season, they meant you friendship, harmony and good fortune. I find it really sweet.
I was able to try eating some of the mooncakes and they are usually made of redbeans and some contain some special flavors and ingredients including salted egg. I love those ones with salted egg. I’ve read that some also put nuts and honey, sometimes savory meat like ham (wow!). Mooncakes are filling and I can’t consume one whole mooncake so I usually share it with a member of the family, to my husband and my kids.
There are countries like in Singapore where mooncake festival is being celebrated in a special way like making colorful lanterns and displaying them, and then making mooncakes at home.
I’m usually attracted on the intricate characters on the mooncake and I’ve read that some of these, when translated, actually tells what the mooncake’s flavor or ingredients are. I didn’t know that there are so many kinds of mooncakes out there. There are what you call snow-skin mooncakes, fruit and vegetable mooncakes, ice cream mooncakes, and there are those that have unique flavors like Oreo, the pungent durian, bamboo charcoal, and even crayfish. I’d love to try some of those in the future.
Since I was born Christian, I didn’t know much of these Asian traditions but I admire the people who keep these traditions because they respect nature and the wonders that God had created. By doing so, they observe these wonderful festivities and give people something to celebrate together and be happy about every year.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/dining/mooncake-recipes.html
https://www.chinaeducationaltours.com/guide/mid-autumn-festival-mooncake.htm
