As the time for the festival drew closer, we saw tons of lanterns appear in shops, office buildings and homes. They can be found in almost every shape and size imaginable. Figuring that this was a celebration not to be missed, Ken and I decided to decorate our apartment with colorful lanterns as well.
Next on the agenda was mooncakes. Traditional mooncakes are dense sweets made of ground lotus and sesame seed paste with egg yolks in the center. They are in a soft cake that is quite decorative. More and more there are choices of filling and style for mooncakes to suit the more modern pallate. We went in search of mooncakes that we could try. We saw "Mooncake Central" at Times Square where they had tons of varieties and even some chefs making them on the spot.
After much deliberation we decided that we wanted a traditional one...
...some Mickey Mouse custard filled mooncakes from Disney...
...and one we couldn't resist...
Haggen Dazs mooncakes.
The day of the festival our friend Vesper stopped by with a tin of mooncakes in various flavors. They are yummy. We never know what flavor we are getting because they are labeled in Chinese. It makes dessert an adventure.
There are two stories about mooncakes that are fascinating. The first tells of the start of the tradition. There was an Emperor who was very mean to his people. He found an elixer that would give him eternal life. One of his Empresses did not want him to have that power and keep treating his people so badly, so she snuck in and drank the elixer herself. After drinking she flew to the moon and resides there to this day along with a rabbit. Thus the tradition of spending part of the festival gazing at the moon.
The festival also commemorates a 14th century uprising against the Mongols. In a cunning plan, the rebels wrote the call to arms on pieces of paper and embedded them in cakes which they then smuggled to compatriots.
We also took a trip to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay to see the lantern festival. This exhibition is set up every year with giant sized lanterns and stages for performances throughout the three days of the festival. This year there was an added attraction in that Guinness World Records was there to see the entry for the largest structure built entirely of lanterns.
This gigantic fish is about three stories high and a football field in length. What's more, every fifteen minutes the music begins and the entire lantern turns into a light show.
The ground are awash with lights overhead.
The lanterns take on many shapes and sizes from the traditional...
...to animal...
...to an amusement park.
And while viewing all of these wonderful displays, we even had a chance to spend some time gazing at the moon.
It was a wonderful holiday that gives the same kind of feel as our Thanksgiving. It is about food and family and making memories.
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