Mid-Autumn Moon Festivities and Illnesses

Chang e floating through the sky

This week is moon festival for those of us living in or among the Chinese Culture and although Taiwan has one of its rare long weekends (and I actually made plans well in advance!), my plans have been squashed by none other than the common cold.  Ah yes, the common cold.  With its sore throat inducing, sinus blocking, head pressure creating, unbearable-ness, I have become totally useless to the world in just the amount of time it took for me to fall asleep on Thursday night and wake up on Friday morning.

But enough about my seasonal pathogens, onwards to the festivities and the proverbial (and literal) bright side.  The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, or 中秋節 (zhongqiujie), has a particularly interesting legend that accompanies it, and I would like to share it here:


Once there was a famous archer called Hou Yi, who lived with his beautiful wife, Chang E.  In Hou's time, there was not one, but 10 suns that took turns circling the skies.  The suns rotated regularly without incident for many years, but one day all circled the sky in unison, scorching the earth below.  The Emperor called for Yi and commanded him to shoot down all but one of these suns to restore order and prevent the anhilation of the earth.  Yi thus expertly targeted and removed each of the nine additional suns from the sky, and as a reward was granted the Elixir of Life.

However, the Emperor told Yi that he must not consume the elixir immediately; instead, he should prepare himself spiritually before consuming the pill, and so Yi began a year of meditation and spiritual strengthening. During this time Yi was called away again, but this time while he was gone his wife, Chang E, found the Elixir of Life.  Being innately curious, she helped herself to the elixir and began to float away.  Upon her husband's return, he began shouting at her, and pursued her, trying to shoot her down.

Chang E continued to fly until at last she reached the moon.  Here, she resides in her moon palace alone.  She is only permitted to meet with her husband once a year, during the Mid-Autumn Moon festival when the Moon is at its fullest (and closest) to earth.


To celebrate Chang E, the moon goddess,  families traditionally prepare or buy and then distribute moon cakes or other smaller cakes, such as green or yellow bean cakes, to other family members and friends.  People may also go to temples (in Taiwan, Daoist or Buddhist) to pray and make offerings.

Traditional Mooncake with yoke symbolizing the moon: source

Although a wonderful story, this legend does little to explain the historical importance of this holiday.  So why is the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival relevant holiday historically?  Well, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival was not only to commemorate Chang E, the devilishly curious wife turned moon goddess.  In face, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival had a very practical goal- to give thanks for good harvests and pray for returning yields to be just as bountiful.  So really, perhaps farmers were really central to the beginnings of this harvest-oriented holiday.

Regardless, the modern Moon Festival holiday in Taiwan is completely dissimilar to either traditional legend, save for the consumption of moon cakes.  Here, some families take the opportunity to travel abroad or within Taiwan if there is a long weekend.  For those that stay, Taiwan tradition dictates BBQing assorted meat products out on the streets (this is often done not only by families but also among colleagues outside of their work place) and the consumption of moon cakes (although many would say the latter is optional). 

An interesting note here though, is that the Taiwanese barbeque tradition is not a traditionally Chinese one at all.  It was actually started about 20 years ago by a company looking to sell grills over the holiday.  It launched a hugely successful marketing campaign that convinced nearly the entire Taiwanese population that BBQing was the best and only activity of choice for Moon Festival!  Thus, it has been a island-wide necessity since then- even when the weather is questionable.  Just a couple of years ago, it rained the entire Moon Festival weekend, and even so, companies, families, classmates all still huddled under awnings out on the streets to do their 'mandatory' BBQ.

More Traditional Moon Cakes from White Wood House

Moon cakes have also taken a less traditional turn in contemporary Taiwan, and lots of kids I know no longer prefer the traditional moon cakes (pictured in the first photo).  Today many companies, including international ones, have their own take on the moon cake as they vie for a place in the Chinese Market.  As can be expected, many new flavors of moon cakes have come on the market in recent years- from the traditional baked moon cake with new flavors like cranberry to moon cakes that are only truly moon cakes in shape, such as the ones from Godiva and Haagen-Dazs below.  Despite the fact that they are probably not "true" moon cakes in the strictest sense, I can say from personal experience that the Godiva ones are delicious!

2014 Haagan-Dazs collection

2014 Godiva collection

Which brings me to my weekend.  Although I've been sick for the past three days with a cold, I am hopeful that tomorrow, the actual Mood Festival holiday, will still be filled with our own BBQ of fat and juicy Portobello mushrooms and other vege, and a box of my favorite Godiva 'moon cakes.'  With any luck, tomorrow will still be a great (if not congested) day!