#Gazing at the moon midautumn festival full

The United States, Canada, Australia and the mainland were some of the major mooncake export markets for Hong Kong makers in the past, he said, but 'young people are also less interested in mooncakes than the older generation.'īeside the traditional salted egg yolk, golden syrup and lotus paste ingredients, makers have been pushing modern recipes to include durian, chocolate and various flavors of ice cream. 'While some mooncake makers are performing quite well the overall market is mediocre,' he said, noting that the export market has fallen off significantly because of the pandemic and China-US strains. 'Restaurants rolled out more menus for 12 people to accommodate the demand,' he added.īut Wong said mooncake sales were a concern. Yeung Wai-sing, chairman of the Association for Hong Kong Catering Services Management, said Chinese restaurants had in fact racked up 80-90 percent bookings some days ago. So this year's windfall will be around 10 percent lower than the 2018 take of HK$400 million before the social unrest and Covid-19 pandemic kicked in. In 2019, the festival raked in HK$300 million for the catering industry.

Pass it on to your local school, or use it at home with the little people in your life.For bigger tables are in demand after relaxed social distancing measures amid a stable Covid-19 situation, with no new unknown source local infections for over 28 days. The British Council has created this lovely guide for schools with lesson and assembly plans to help children learn more about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Young women would pray to Chang’e, the moon goddess of immortality, for assistance in achieving their romantic aims. The Festival has also been a time to celebrate weddings and to carry out match-making activity. This year, the Chinese Government has forbidden Public Officials from giving and receiving mooncakes as part of its clampdown on corruption. The gesture is still intended to represent unity. Unsurprisingly, the modern custom is to buy mooncakes to give to family, colleagues and business associates. You’ll see from this recipe that it’s a fiddly process that involves a special mould to give the cakes their distinctive appearance. Historically mooncakes were made at home. Mooncakes are a traditional symbol of the festival, with the round shape symbolising unity. Carrying lanterns or releasing sky lanterns into the night are also commonplace. The contemporary celebration includes taking time to look at the moon as a family, and to eat the aptly-named mooncakes. Worshipping the moon and offering gifts of food and incense in the hope of an abundant harvest and fertile land (and women) was very traditional, and still practised. Confucian scholars would take the time to admire the moon, drink wine and recite poetry. Moon gazing is a traditional way to mark the festival – a symbol of completeness and unity, both concepts that are important in Chinese and Vietnamese culture. By the early 20th century, the festival had a firm identity as a children’s festival.

In Vietnam it is the second most important national celebration after Tet (the lunar new year), where it has evolved from a celebration to divine the future of the harvest to a day focused on fertility and abundance for harvests, livestock and babies. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a public holiday in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Here’s a quick Asia House guide to help you expand your cultural awareness of this celebration and its significance in part of Asia.

#Gazing at the moon midautumn festival full

Originating in Greater China and also celebrated Vietnam and in Chinese communities in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, the festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month in the lunar calendar during a full moon. Today we celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon gazing – Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival