Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

Today starts the first day of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. This is a very important holiday in China when families re-unite and celebrate abundance and togetherness. During this time, the moon is at its fullest and brightest and the harvest is also celebrated. It is akin to our Thanksgiving. Traditionally, on this day, families get together to eat mooncakes and enjoy the beautiful full moon.

We decided to celebrate as well. Our preparations began with a visit down to the Chinese Market earlier in the week. While we were there, a lantern caught the Chinese Noodle's eye. Sucker that I am, I bought it. As an FYI, when you pop the batteries in it, it does light up, but it also plays this excruciatingly loud
tune(?) at a decibel level that is not acceptable for human ears. Needless to say, when she asks for the batteries, we say NO!....but I digress...



I had also found a recipe for mooncakes that I wanted to try. Mooncakes may have many fillings: fig, white lotus bean, red bean, pineapple, etc. These are obviously geared more towards a Chinese palate, so I was pleased to see that the recipe said you could use strawberry jam--perfect. If you want to see the recipe, you can find it here. We had fun last night making the dough, rolling out the balls and of course tasting our handiwork.



As an aside, I know that many families who have daughters that were born in China use the Moon Festival to remember and discuss birthparents. Tomorrow we plan on having Chinese take-away, eating our mooncakes, and lighting a candle to remember the Noodle's birthmother and birthfather.

I also happened to stumble upon this great book in the library's new book section. It is called Star of the Week: a Story of Love, Adoption and Brownies with sprinkles. You can find it here. Currently, the C.N. is asking to be read it again and again. Goes along pretty nicely with the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, don't ya think?