Mid-Autumn Festival from Musical Mandarin

MId-Autumn 2011

2011-09-10T13:38:00.001-07:00

Monday, 9/12 is the day. If you don't have your moon cakes, run to the local Chinese grocery. (Although I heard that at least in LA some Costcos have them!)

MAF in N'ern NJ

2010-09-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

There does not seem to be much in the way of public festivities in NJ, although I bet most of the weekend Chinese schools are doing something.

Otherwise, it may be just be on 9/25/2010:

Newark Museum, ("fun-filled day with dance and music performances, storytelling in the galleries, and hands-on activities—such as lantern making and papercutting—and even lunar explorations with the Museum's Astronomer", and 3 performances. Free with museum admission. Click for directions/parking.)
down in Marlboro, NJ (click for their pdf)

Ray over at Child Book keeps a national list, but he has nothing for NJ yet.

Have you ordered your moon cakes?

2010-08-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

September 12th is right around the corner.

2010 - 11 Festival Dates

2010-06-08T19:07:00.000-07:00

Festivals (mostly those celebrated based on the lunar calendar):

June 16, 2010 - Dragon Boat Festival - look for races near you, there are more teams that you might expect!

August 4 - Birthday of Kwan Tai, god of war (lunar 6/24)
August 16, 2010 - "Valentine's Day" - 7/7 lunar "Seven Sisters Festival
August 24th, 2010 - Hungry Ghost Day - 7/15 lunar

Sept. 22, 2010, Sept. 12, 2011 - Mid-Autumn Festival - 8/15 lunar
Sept. 23, 2010, Sept. 13, 2011 - Monkey God Festival - 8/16 lunar
October 4, 2010, Sept. 24, 2011 - Confucius' Birthday (8/27)

October 16, 2010, October 5, 2011 - "Double Nine" Chong Yang (Chung Yeung) Festival - 9/9 lunar
December 21/22, 2010, Dec. 21/22, 2011 - Winter Solstice "Dong Zhi" - 12/1 lunar

And then a new year:
February 3, 2011 - Chinese New Year - lunar 1/1
Feb. 17 - Lantern Festival

Ching Ming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) is always April 5th
Buddha's birthday is May 10, 2011 (lunar 4/8)

June 6, 2011 - Dragon Boat (Tuen Ng) Festival - look for races near you, there are more teams in the USA & around the world that you might expect! (lunar 5/5)

August 6, 2011 - "Valentine's Day" - 7/7 lunar "Seven Sisters Festival
August 14, 2011 - Hungry Ghost Day - 7/15 lunar

Sept. 12, 2011 - Mid-Autumn Festival - 8/15 lunar
Sept. 13, 2011 - Monkey God Festival - 8/16 lunar
Sept. 24, 2011 - Confucius' Birthday (8/27)

October 5, 2011 - "Double Nine" Chong Yang (Chung Yeung) Festival - 9/9 lunar

Dec. 21/22, 2011 - Winter Solstice "Dong Zhi" - 12/1 lunar

2009 Lunar Calendar

2009-01-03T06:19:00.000-08:00

Our annual pdf file showing the year's phases of the moon is ready. If you would like a copy, please post a comment with your email, or email me.

I love the look but it really helps show how each month of the Chinese calendar begins with a new moon. If there is a full moon, one knows it is the 15th of the lunar calendar. Children - and adults - always want to look at it when I take it anywhere.

Share ideas about how you use it!

Zhongqiujie 2008

2008-09-14T05:33:00.001-07:00

Zhongqiujie yukuai

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

Today's the day. While there will be cloudy skies for many of the people we know, it looks like everyone is safe after Ike and that is more important.

Autumn Moon 2008

2008-08-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

It's just a month away on Sept. 14, 2008.

It is a little early to start looking for mooncakes at the Chinese grocery store, but you may want to:

review Mid-Autumn Festival information,
decide whether you want to go into your child's school to celebrate,
talk to your chlid's teachers about what you can do in the classroom (the sooner the better on that one since it is "early" this year. I suspect many teachers might be happiest with just a special snack as they will be still getting their own routines set).
Or, surprise some friends online with e-cards. You can set up today to be delivered on September 14th!

We still have a pdf file of 2008 showing how the phases of the moon compare to the 2008 calendar. If you would like a copy, please post a comment with your email, or email me.

Happy New Year!

2008-02-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

To read more, visit cny.blogspot.com!

Reading Level

2008-01-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

I wonder if it's due to the Chinese characters?

Happy New Year!

2008-01-02T08:08:00.000-08:00

Found this at ChristmasMySpace.com, can't recommend all their graphics though!

Did you know...?

2007-10-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

In Europe, Halloween and Ground Hog's Day were originally as cross-quarter days, halfway between an equinox and a solstice? Our modern calendar's have gotten away from the moon, and the real cross-quarter day will occur next week. Of course, in China they were marked as one of the 24 solar terms.

Full Moon Names?

2007-10-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Keith's Moon Page has a list of Full Moon Names that Include: Native American, Chinese, New Guinean Colonial American, English Medieval and Neo-Pagan. Sadly, he lists the Chinese moons by January, February, ... December while we know that they do not always fall in that month. I still love to see all of the different names together.

I think he has names from more cultures than the Crystal Forest monthly moon name list which suffers from the same dating problem.

These lists are European, but detailed!

Names of October in various cultures
In Anglo Saxon: Winter fyllith (winter begins at the time of the full moon during the 10th month,
probably the full moon of the 10th lunation);
in Carolinigian: the vintage month;
in Welsh: Hydref, the month of cattle lowing;
in Scots Gaelic, An Damhair, the month of deer rutting; and
in Irish: Deireadh Fomhair, end of autumn.

From:
Blackburn, Bonnie & Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Oxford Companion to the Year, Oxford University Press, 1999.
Kightly, Charles, The Perpetual Almanack of Folklore, Thames & Hudson, 1987.

What we call "October" to the Northern Tribes
Aleuts: Hunting month
Koryak: Rutting season of mountain sheep
Yukahir: Rutting time of the wild reindeer
Ugric Osniaks: Naked tree month
Ostiaks: Month in which the willow loses its foliage
Tatars; Little cold month
Buriats: Milk moon
Samoyeds: Month of the short days, Dark month
Eskimos: Time for setting seal nets
Lower Yukon delta: Time for shedding velvet
South of Yukon delta: Flying away (migration of the birds)
Konyag: Hoarfrost covers the grass
Tlinkit: Big moon (because bears get fat)

Nilsson, Martin P, Primitive Time-Reckoning, Oxford University Press, 1920.

"October" names of the European Peoples
Albania: Second autumn month
Basque: Gathering month
Lithuania: Autumn month
Bulgaria: Leaf-fall, gathering of the maize
Ruthenia: The yellow month
Slovakia: Time when the goat ruts
Czechoslovakia: Month of the lowing
Serbia: Vine month
Russia: Dirt month
Germany: Autumn month, first winter month, sowing month, slaughtering month, leaf-fall
Iceland: Slaughtering month
Norway: Vine tide
Denmark: Riding month

Nilsson, Martin P, Primitive Time-Reckoning, Oxford University Press, 1920.

TJMummy's "lesson plan"

2007-09-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

Another mom's found some MAF resources that I didn't know about. Looks like I'll be doing some updating, thanks Anna!

It is for the preschool crowd so pick and chose what works for you.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2007

2007-09-24T21:11:00.001-07:00

Solstice has passed, now the moon is full and it's time for the Mid-Autumn Festival. May you have a wonderful holiday spending time with your family whether it is today or this weekend. Photos of lanterns and happy families are already posted from this year - but I like this snap of a rabbit in with bunny lanterns. In Vietnam there were lanterns and stilt-walkers.

If you have not bought your mooncakes yet, it may be hard to get any now. I don't think we are the last family to love them, next to his photo Joshua Hartshorne describes them as "yummier than they look". Lynn shares her photo of a totally different kind. I will not reveal my favorite, but there are many flavors and styles, and they are not universally well-received even here.

In today's Christian Science Monitor, Connie Wieck discusses her mooncake disposal dilemma ("Like the Christmas fruitcake in the US, Mid-Autumn Festival mooncakes in China are prolific, but not well loved.") and a photo of the largest mooncake I have ever seen accompanies Donna Scaramastra Gorman's article Celebrate fall - the Chinese way ("Chinese people around the world celebrate autumn by gathering together and gazing at the full moon.")

MAF Craft Ideas

2007-09-14T09:49:00.001-07:00

Cassia trees and the jade rabbit are on the moon with Chang Er.

Grating cassia bark (or even cinnamon is you can't find cassia) is fun and smells great. The clearest discussion of the difference I know is from Penzey's Spices, it starts "There are two main types of cinnamon."

If you don't mind the whole house smelling of cinnamon, bake rabbit or moon ornaments from cinnamon & applesauce. I don't know which cinnamon ornament recipe I used, but it used more cinnamon and less applesauce than McCormick's ornament recipe. Remember to put a hole in them so you can hang them later. They will retain their scent for years.

Cassia blossoms are yellow. Even the very young can draw a few lines for tree trunks on a paper, crumple yellow tissue paper and glue it down to create their own cassia grove.

Consider simple Mobiles, or even a long string, with different circle containing pictures of Hou Yi, Chang Er and the Jade rabbit. Children can make their own pictures, or color yours.

Origami Rabbits:
For the youngest, consider this origami rabbit face, or select one of Waterfordpress' origami rabbits. For the more dexterous, try these instructions for rabbits at Fishgoth.com or select the Thinkquest rabbit.

lunar date converter

2007-09-13T08:57:00.001-07:00

September 2007 update: In 2004 – 2006, I was using Mandarin Tools converter (updated hidden link in HTML editor) but the site has moved and now hangs at the new address. I am looking for a converter that I can recommend comfortably.

August's Lunar Eclipse

2007-09-08T04:57:00.000-07:00

Another blogger got up in the middle of the light to get these great photos of August 28th, 2007's Lunar Eclipse. Thanks for sharing!

Why does the moon look red during a lunar eclipse?
Astronomy.com has the answer.

Time to talk to teachers?

2007-08-28T10:42:00.001-07:00

Autumn Moon Festival is about a month away. It is always 8/15 on the lunar calendar; this year China's 2nd largest festival of the year is September 25th.

Some families have gone into their child's elementary school or pre-school on or near this day to share some Chinese culture with them. For ideas,
http://mid-autumn-fest.blogspot.com/2004/09/resources.html
http://mid-autumn-fest.blogspot.com/2004/09/handout.html
http://mid-autumn-fest.blogspot.com/2004/09/notes-for-parents.html

If you are considering going into your child's school, I'd suggest talking to the teacher soon. I suspect you could slip in treats as if it were a birthday but to do much else, you should give them time to consider the schedule. It may be for easier for teachers to support this year since the holiday is not so close to the beginning of school. I'd love hearing from people doing this, or who have done this, and how it went so that we can share. I hate the thought of anyone having to reinvent the wheel.

Many families have drunk tea and eaten cookies or moon cakes and looked at the full moon together. Some have taken a special something into their child's class and talked to the teacher about what can be done in the future and made suggestions for a Chinese New Year celebration. (The next one is February 7, 2008 and there are lots of ideas at cny.blogspot.com )

For your own family, you can wait until the last minute to decide whether to stay up a little and look at the moon. However, if you want to eat mooncakes, you should go to the store or order by mid-month. At least where I live there may be none to be found in the Chinese grocery stores on the day of, or the day before even.

If you want a one page 2007 lunar calendar, just email mus-mandarin@wubison.com (You can copy it & distribute it too.)

Send an e-card this year

2007-08-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

In 2007, at least the following places have e-cards for Autumn Mon Festival:

Discover Hong Kong
http://china.tyfo.com/int/art/festival/middle-autumn/mid-music_card.htm
http://cards.thestar.com.my/midautumn/
123 Greetings.com
Blue mountain Cards

I have no association with any of these places, do not profit from this in any way, and am not responsible for their content - but I would not mind getting a card!

Lanterns

2007-08-10T05:54:00.000-07:00

When studying any culture, it is important to be sure that everyone understands what is ancient custom, what is a tradition that is still carried on, and what is new.

Lanterns have changed over time. There have long main at least two main styles of Chinese lanterns, although one seems to by dying out, and those painted with Pokemon figures are increasingly popular. The easiest lantern crafts are for cylindrical lanterns, while cylindrical and round ones are both easy to find (and buy) here in the America.

Rarely do we need a lantern to light our way at night, and certainly few of us are used to handling flammable paper lanterns with candles in them!

I just love this quote from Hong Kong Fast Facts on Mid Autum Festival Lanterns: Afgter talking about the obligatory gifts for family, especially mooncakes, and pocket money for the seniors, and that one must buy paper lanterns for the children, they say

Candles are used to light up the lanterns traditionally but modern safety concern has brought battery powered plastic cartoon characters like Hello Kitty and Ultraman. If you really want to annoy your friends, get one with cheap electronic music for their children.

Refreshing to hear!

This commercial site has pictures of traditional Vietnamese lanterns - covered in silk and quite different shapes.

Last updated: 9/2007

Moon Facts

2007-08-04T18:59:00.000-07:00

Recently, NASA has selected some proposals that include research to be done from the moon. It’s detailed in NASA Selects Astrophysics Projects for New Science on the Moon. Last year they shared interesting information about moonlight in Strange Moonlight. Did you know most of us can not read in moonlight?

And in time for your nest discussion of the moon, "new" lunar photos, or at least not seen by the public for 30 years - detailed photos of the moon.

Updated: August 29, 2007

Four months to go!

2007-05-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Would you have guessed that today starts the 8th solar term, "Grain Full" or "Grain Fills"? You may want to read more about Solar Terms.

Spring arrived on March 20, 2007 for the Northern Hemisphere this year and started the half-month called Chunfen(春分, Spring Equinox).

Happy 4704!

2007-02-18T06:38:00.000-08:00

May this Year of the Fire Pig be filled with wonder and learning.

The Pumpkin Circle

2007-01-26T06:59:00.000-08:00

If your child's teacher had students plant seeds in the spring or is planning to talk about Harvest, Halloween pumpkins, Thanksgiving - there is an entrance point for you to talk about Mid-Autumn Festival! You can "plant a seed" in spring yourself by mentioning it to the teacher - even if your child will be in a different class the next year. Maybe your child could visit the "old" class in the fall and help you present something to them? Few schools would have trouble with this - as long as you coordinate the time with both teachers.

The Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson is a lovely picture book that could be used to discuss planting, growing or harvest. Suggested pumpkin seed classroom activities, educational standards, pictures from the book, and clip from the video (narrated by Danny Glover) are on The Pumpkin Circle website. Spring is coming - and they have a $1 pumpkin seed offer for educators on their site too.

Filmmaker, George Levenson won awards for his Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. You can see clips of that and of his companion video, How to Fold A Paper Crane at the Sadako Film Project. To complete a crane, read the full directions for how to fold a paper crane.

See Musical Mandarin for more information on Paper-folding.

Tools: Moon Phase & Cloudy Skies

2007-01-01T10:29:00.000-08:00

Chris Cobb has a moon phases calculator that you can get from Tuft's Wright Center . This is not the same as the BlueMarmot calculator I previously mentioned in See "today's moon phase".

I have not used it but present it as an option for you. I am also excited about the Clear Sky Clock using data from Canada that I learned about from the Wright Center. There have been far too many cloudy Autumn Moon Festival nights here. To learn more, and see how to set it for your location visit http://www.cleardarksky.com/csk/

Woman in the Moon pictures

2007-01-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

George Leonberger has created a Woman in the Moon page for the Wright Center! I have never seen her picture so clearly. I have no idea whether this Chang Er that the Chinese have seen for years.

Times of moonrise, transit and moonset

2006-12-11T05:01:00.000-08:00

I just found an interesting resource for the "Times of moonrise, transit and moonset during the Mid-Autumn festival period". The Hong Kong observatory has almanac pages set up for 2006, 2007, and 2008. To see last year's times, see http://www.hko.gov.hk/gts/astron2006/mid-aut_e.htm

2006 Mid-Autumn Festival photos

2006-12-11T04:58:00.000-08:00

For Singapore (at least I think it is 2006), see: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival_in_Singapore

Importance of harvesting corn

2006-11-13T07:37:00.000-08:00

Today's National Geographic photo of the day was shot on assignment for, but not published in "A Chinese Emperor's Army for Eternity," August 1992, National Geographic magazine.

Not the only "one a day" website that has photographs of China once in a while.

I also like these shots of the Great Wall of China and the Inner Gorge from Earth Science Picture of the Day but China pictures are rare there.

Mid-Autumn Festival cards

2006-10-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

(Next year we can remember to actually send them.)

This for all of those who, like me, had a cloudy sky last night and could not see the full moon:
http://www.123greetings.com/events/moon_festival_taiwan/moon4.html

Tonight's Full Moon 12 Percent Bigger

2006-10-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

While the moon is always round and beautiful on 8/15 (lunar), about 50% of the time, the full moon is actually on another day. This year the full moon is on the day: October 6th at 11:13 p.m. EDT in the USA. The native American name is the "Full Harvet Moon". According to Robert Roy Britt, space.com's Senior Science Writer, Tonight's Full Moon is 12 Percent Bigger.

Consider making it a special night with a family dinner. Let the children out to see it - it's not a school night this year. This full moon really does seem brighter than any other to me.

And if you want to involve the school, read on for ideas. Or share what you have done.

For more about the moon, you may want to look at Wikipedia, including their piece on Full Moons or at Imaginova's Space site including the Skywatcher's Guide to the Moon and Top 10 Cool Moon Facts. (My favorites are 1, 5 and 9.) Read the Farmers' Almanac for more on Native American Moon Names.

Guzheng music - Midnight Autumn Song

2006-10-05T10:30:00.000-07:00

Sound of China Guzheng Music Promotion Center (chinesezither.net) has lots of information and guzheng (Chinese zither) music. Just visit the site, or scroll down on their homepage and "click" on Midnight Autumn Song to hear. Connie says it is "a beautiful, traditional Chinese song played by Carol Chang on the guzheng." Different songs are probably highlighted during the year.

This site is dedicated to promoting Guzheng and spreading Chinese music. Learn more about the gu zheng, or buy CDs, DVDs, and textbooks on their page. While there are zither masters, you can learn to play a song on the gu zheng in one afternoon.

Thanks to Connie from FCC for this one!

Classical Chinese poems about autumn

2006-10-05T08:25:00.000-07:00

Quite a bit of work went organizing these classical Chinese poems on autumn, mostly from the Tang dynasty. When you sleect a poem, the Chinese (traditional or simplifed characters, your choice), pinyin, and an English translation all appear. From the Chinese-poems.com homepage, you can also learn more about the authors and search other peoms they have collected.

From their home page "Li Bai (李白)[701- 762] is the most popular Chinese poet, with a distinctively Romantic style." This is their translation of Autumn Air.

Autumn Air by Li Bai

The autumn air is clear,
The autumn moon is bright.
Fallen leaves gather and scatter,
The jackdaw perches and starts anew.
We think of each other- when will we meet?
This hour, this night, my feelings are hard.

I don't know who translated this, my favorite Autumn Moon poem.

The Mid-Autumn Moon by Li Qiao

A full moon hangs high in the chilly sky,
All say it's the same everywhere, round and bright.
But how can one be sure thousands of li away
Wind and perhaps rain may not be marring the night?

Autumn Moon is Teacher's Day in Taiwan

2006-10-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

Somehow tomorrow we are also stopping in at my daughter's "old" school to drop off some mooncakes, and we will be leaving something on my Chinese tutor's door as well.

Huang Lao-shi is responsible for any good in my Mandarin. (In more ways than one. She only taught 'nice' words and I never learned how to say anything like "bad", "dirty", or "rude".) The mistakes are my own. Perhaps she is also the reason that my daughter has such lovely tones, although she was never formally her teacher. We certainly believe that my daughter did not learn her tones from this household.

Food, glorious food

2006-10-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Mooncakes, of course.

Round like the moon foods, including pomelos.

To drink, tea or wine for the adults.

Modern festive "bonfire"

2006-10-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

I have not tried this myself, yet, but some youngsters think they have found a fun, modern replacement for an older, dangerous Hong Kong tradition - a Coke and mentos geyser. If you have not heard of a mentos eruption you might not know what to do with a 2 liter bottle of (preferrably diet) Coke and an uncloated Mentos. If you want to sneak in some science, the best description I know is from the TV show Mythbusters. Some young friend Sean recommends you not think about trying this combination in your mouth.

Consider joining in the first annual year of this and your "older chlidren" might find the festival cool again.

From the MidAutum Splash Off website - "In a deeper cultural context, for the longest time, teenagers and young adults, classmates, good friends and families in Hong Kong used to celebrate Mid Autumn with festive bonfire, a much endeared tradition that filled our childhood with sweet memories. The festive bonfires are quite uniquely made by melting a hot pot of candles outdoor, bring the wax to boiling point, then create a 3 to 6 foot tall fire pole by splashing water on top of the wax. For public safety reasons, following one incident of severe burn, the festive bonfire has been banned since 2002.

Many of us bonfire enthusiasts would love to bring an activity of spilling something high in the sky, something that highlights the climaxes of the festival (instead of continual moon observing), an interesting excuse to gather the loved ones, while doing it safe! A group of youngers, after watching the Coke/Mentos video online, felt it to be a perfectly fitting replacement we've been searching for years. "

They plan to update Wikipedia on this too.

Autumn Mooncakes

2006-10-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

Mooncakes have a long history of their own. They started as honey cakes in the 3^rd century BC. Now there are many kinds, and their shapes and fillings are seemingly endless. However, there are two or three main types of mooncakes. The classic mooncake is made in a mold, contains egg, and has a golden or dark crust. (Some now call them Cantonese style.) Based on ancient literary works, they evolved into their current form between the 6^th and 11^th centuries. There is a character or design on the top. The inside can be a paste, fruit-cakey or even have meat in it. Perhaps lotus-seed paste was the original but now, due to cost, red bean paste seems to be more common. Shanghai-style mooncakes have a flaky crust (that can still be hard to bite) and usually fewer ingredients. Traditionally the yolk was duck, but now it may be chicken or duck. Vegan mooncakes, even vegan, peanut and nut-free mooncakes, are available. Most Shanghai-style mooncakes fit in this category. Mooncakes are often packed 4 or 8 to a box and each should fit in the palm of your hand. The ~4 inch diameter ones can be cut into 8 pieces for distribution at school. They are very rich and not everyone will like them.

Most of the traditional recipes use lard or peanut oil and take days to complete, as the steps include resting the dough 5 hours or draining the bean paste filling overnight. You can also buy mooncakes from many Asian grocery stores, or mail order, probably at least 2 weeks in advance. Many stores only mail mooncake orders once a week.

For more on mooncakes, also look at Wikipedia's article.

RECIPES
There are two different kid-approved recipes here, adapted to do done in an afternoon, instead of five days. Jennifer's is closer to the traditional. If you want to make a moon-ish cookie which is safer for the youngest and more likely to work with children with allergies, try this egg-free and dairy-free cookie recipe that should satisfy any schools anti-allergy policies. It is similar to German “thumbprint” cookies. I recommend always checking for allergies before offering any food to children.

Jennifer's Autumn Moon Cake recipe

2006-09-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Jennifer adapted this to be kid approved and not too time consuming. However, it does include dairy products (and coconut) so it might not work in all schools due to allergy concerns. At least the dough is similar to the recipe on Yan Can Cook. Or, go to the egg-free, dairy-free recipe if you need it.

Autumn Moon Cakes
Crust
4 c all purpose flour
3/4 c dried milk powder (whiz in Cuisinart to fine powder if lumpy)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 1/4 c sugar
3/4 c unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Filling
1 12 oz jar apricot preserves
1 c chopped pitted dates
1 c flaked sweetened coconut
3/4 c raisins

Glaze, whisk together
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp. water

1. Sift flour, milk powder, baking powder, salt, set aside. Break eggs in large mixing bowl, add sugar and beat until mixture "ribbons" off the beaters, approx. 5 mins. Add melted butter, vanilla and dry ingredients to egg mixture. Mix to rough dough, turn out on lightly floured surface and knead briefly to smooth dough. Form dough into long roll and cut into 20 pieces.

2. Mix ingredients for filling (I found that this filling was more than enough and used what was left over for muffins)

3. Preheat to 375. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets or use silpat or parchment. Press 1 dough piece into a 3-4 inch circle making edges thinner and center thicker. Spoon a portion of filling into the center, about a Tbsp. Gather up edges of dough to enclose filling and pinch edges together to seal. Roll cake in a ball, flatten to a 3 in. round and press into a lightly floured moon cake mold (or a simple round cookie cutter).

You will need to refrigerate the dough and then refrigerate the formed cakes to hold any design from a moon cake mold. I used some decorative copper molds, but if the design isn’t deeply incised, it will not hold. This is the most time consuming part of the recipe - I don't preheat until I've made half the cakes.

4. Arrange cakes about 1 inch apart on baking sheet. Brush surface of cakes with egg/water glaze. You could also paint a design with red vegetable food coloring if you don’t over do the egg wash. Bake for 20 minutes ...maybe even 18 mins. until golden brown.

5. Variations – use chopped ginger to replace ¼ cup raisins and ginger puree to replace apricot preserves. Not traditional but really yummy and spicy.

6. If you hate coconut, replace with nuts, finely chopped but not ground.

Thanks Jennifer!

Story and handout

2006-09-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

A colorfully illustrated story of the Autumn Moon Festival can be yours to use with your family or or at school.

The 8 page pdf file with lots of pictures is based on the good work of Terry Garlock, who gave me permission to revise and make my own version. I also have a two page (or 2 sides on one page) handout that can be used for educational purposes if you are interested.

Just email me for a copy at mus-mandarin@wubison.com and I will email you the .pdf files.

Need a Lunar Calendar?

2006-09-28T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have a pdf file that you can print showing the months of the year and how the phases of the moon line up with it.

Just email mus-mandarin@wubison.com and let me know if you need one.

Almost a week away. . .

2006-09-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

I can not believe that Mid-Autumn Festival is just a bit over one week away. This year 8/15 (lunar) falls on October 6, 2006. Are you ready? Our house is not . . . yet.

Staten Island Botanical Gardens Autumn Moon Festival

2006-09-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Staten Island Botanical Gardens Autumn Moon Festival,
September 9th, 6:30-9 pm
NY Chinese Scholar’s Garden

Chinese Theatre Works, Taiko drums, calligraphy, paper cuts, mooncakes, jasmine tea, and traditional Chinese food. Admission: $8 adults, $5 children 12 and under. Staten Island Botanical Garden 1000 Richmond Terrace Staten Island, NY 10301 718-273-8200 x 1007 sibgmarketing@aol.com

You can order Moon cakes now from Chinasprout

2006-09-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

Chinasprout has already started shipping mooncakes for this yeseason.

Moon Cakes  from ChinaSprout
http://www.chinasprout.com/shop/F001

Chinese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival will be on October 6, 2006 and many families plan to celebrate this traditional Chinese holiday with their families and friends just like Chinese do. To help families enjoy this traditional way of celebration – eating moon cakes while looking at the full moon-ChinaSprout offers FRESHLY baked mooncakes from a premium New York Chinatown baker. Our moon cakes come in four different flavors, packaged in a very unique collectable tin.

Choose from the following flavors:

Red bean paste (sweet)
White lotus paste with egg yolk (sweet)
Mixed nuts (sweet)
Mixed nuts and ham (sweet/salty)

Each order includes four moon cakes. Please specify your preference of flavors in any combination when you order in the ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS. If you don't specify your preference, we will offer you one cake each flavor. Moon cakes can be kept two months without refrigeration.

4 Pieces
Our Price: US$19.95

Please note that they will ship your moon cakes orders ONLY on following dates: September 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.

Chinese Culture Festival in NYC mid September

2006-09-04T10:41:00.000-07:00

I am not a member - just passing on the information -
China Institute co-sponsors a major Chinese Cultural Festival organized by the Asian Culture Center. The festival is a month long event starting in mid-September.

In addition to many exciting exhibits, the festival will provide numerous lectures and movies.  The festival will feature two main events, the first of which will be a theatrical performance by the Kunming Theatrical Company at the Tribeca Performing Art Center on September 15th at 8:00 p.m.

Two ticket options are currently on sale for the NY performance at mezzanine level, section 3 @ $30.00 each or sections 1 & 2 @ $20.00 each.  A second event, a Chinese Cultural Carnival, will be held on September 16th at Battery Park in New York City, featuring outdoor performances and cultural art. 

All events are free of charge to the public with the exception of the theatrical performance held at the Tribeca Performing Art Center the day before.  They have limited number of tickets available for purchase. To purchase your ticket(s), please send a check made out to Asian Culture Culture to:

China Institute
125 East 65th Street
New York, NY 10021
Attn: Renwen Society

You may visit http://www.acclub.org/en/festival.asp for more details on all of the events for The Chinese Cultural Festival 2006.

Spring Equinox - March 20, 2006

2006-03-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

Until the Spring or Vernal Equinox, we are in the "solar term" or half-month Jingzhe. On March 20th, which will be the vernal equinox for the Northern Hemisphere this year, it will be Chunfen(春分)and the next half-month is Qingming(清明).

Qingming(清明) is a "solar term", which can be the half-month when the Sun is between the celestial longitudes of 15° and 30°, or the day when Sun exactly at the celestial longitude of 15°. Qing Ming Jie is 106 days after the Winter Solstice, and most commonly known as Tomb Sweeping Day in English.

Pomelos

2006-02-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

The price of pomelos went up at the Asian grocery stores here around Chinese New Year. At first I thought, just another round citrus fruit. Round - the moon, having family together, bountiful, etc. but I was wrong.

Pomelo in Chinese sounds like "blessing" so the fruit is auspicious. However, pomelo season coincides with Mid-Autumn Festival not Chinese New Year. At least in America, this fruit seems to have become part of both festival celebrations.

Winter Solstice - 冬至 - Dōng Zhì

2005-12-23T06:50:00.000-08:00

See Chinese Winter Solstice (Musical Mandarin, December 2005 post) for an introduction.

http://mus-mandarin.blogspot.com/2005/12/winter-solstice-dng-zh.html

2005

2005-07-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

This year Saturday, September 18th is Mid-Autumn Festival -- the 15th Day of the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.

While the moon is round and beautiful, this year and about 50% of the time, the full moon is actually on another day. The full moon will be on September 19th in the USA and the 20th in China.

Consider making it a special night with a family dinner. Let the children out to see it - it's not a school night this year. This full moon really does seem brighter than any other to me.

And if you want to involve the school, read on for ideas. Or share what you have done.

2004 articles and tidbits

2004-10-03T03:22:00.000-07:00

In 2004, Mid-Autumn Festival fell on National Day, 27 September. I don't know when that will happen again -but many years from now. It is interesting to see how the lunar and Gregorian calendars can interact.

I learned about these links from Steven Whan's Focus on Culture. For more, see www.autumnjade.com/foc.html

Mid-Autumn Festival
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival article in People's Daily online
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200409/28/eng20040928_158595.html

Mooncake takes the bite of packaging
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-09/28/content_2032416.htm

A day off wanted for Mid-Autumn Festival
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-09/14/content_1979879.htm

Why are moncake prices so, so high? Mooncake prices in Beijing vary from 20-30 yuan (US$2.40-3.60) to (US$180) each. The cost of other items in the box can be several dozens of times higher. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200409/09/eng20040909_156458.html

Egg-free dairy-free Moon Cakes

2004-09-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

No recipe can be 100% allergy-free, but the most common ones have been removed from this. For a recipe that is closer to the traditional, be can still be done on one afternoon, see Jennifer's adaptation.

Egg-free dairy-free mooncakes:

You will need: mixing bowl, mixing spoon, measuring cups & spoons, aluminum foil, cookie sheets, pot holders, flour, margarine, sugar, jam.

1. Combine ½ cup margarine (make sure it is not the “light kind where water is the first ingredient, that does not work for baking) and ¼ cup sugar with ONE of:

§ 1 Tablespoon cornstarch (or arrowroot), 1 Tablespoon soy flour, 1 ½ - 2 Tablespoons water OR

§ 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 Tablespoon liquid, 1 Tablespoon vinegar OR

§ 1 1/2 Tablespoons water, 1 1/2 Tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon baking powder

Stir until creamy and combine completely.

2. Add 1 cup all-purpose flour and mix thoroughly. Form the dough into one large ball and wrap it in aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes (30 or more is better.)

3. Preheat oven to 375F. Cover cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Unwrap chilled dough and with clean hands form small balls in the palms of your hand. (You may want to cut it into 24 pieces first to see the approximate size…?)

4. Make a hole with your thumb gently in the center of each mooncake and fill with a little jam, jelly, or all-fruit spread (If this is for school, remember that raspberry and strawberry are most likely to have someone allergic to them. Grape or blueberry are probably safest.)

5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until just the outside edges are slightly brown.

Notes for Parents

2004-09-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Some years the Mid-Autumn Festival falls very early in the school year in the USA, and not all teachers are receptive to having someone come in and do anything special before their routines are set, especially at preschools. Bringing in a treat (as if it were someone's birthday) might be all that some can support, perhaps with a handout that the children can take home. If you really want to do something, contact the teacher as soon as possible - even before school starts. You may want to coordinate with any other parents of Asians in the class. If the classlist is not yet available, you may need to ask the teacher if there are other families who might want to be involved.

For the youngest saying, "the moon is full, (it's a harvest festival,) this is a lantern, have some new food" is almost enough. Leave a handout – at least for the teacher. Remember that what you leave may be copied and given to each child.

If you discuss time before electricity, and mention Harvest Festivals, Festival of Lights, that gives the teacher, school, other parents, lead-ins to talk about the days lengthening, looking at the sky, constellations, lunar phases, and other holidays. Many cultures have Festivals of Light, including Diwali (the Hindu Festival of Lights) and Chanukah. Thanksgiving is a Harvest Festival. Harvest Moon Festivals include Ch’usok (Korea) and the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.

Additional Activities and Props:

Every class I have been in has really enjoyed seeing lunar calendars that showed the phases of the moon for each day of the year. A good size is one year on two 8.5 x 11 inch pages taped together. The pattern, and how it does not match the Gregorian calendar month showed up very well. Sometimes you see calendar as a poster. (email me at mus-mandarin@wubison.com if you need a lunar calendar, I can send a pdf file.)

You may want a simple timeline to show how some of the events compare to those they already know. Montessori teachers generally support this for younger students than other style teachers.

A flashlight and 2 balls can illustrate the phases of the moon. A 6 – 9 year old class can understand it and help act it out. I might not try this with a 3-6 year old class. Practice first. Have you or another adult hold the flashlight so it will be steady and can be adjusted as needed, since the children acting may not move exactly ‘right’. Do not let the earth-child get too dizzy. Being able to make the room *dark* really makes a difference; some classrooms have a lot of light coming in even with the blinds down. (Brownie Girl Scouts should be able to use this as an alternate requirement in the Earth and Sky Try-it or maybe for Space Explorer.)

It is nice to loan things to the class to use after you are gone. Suggestions include:

A chop, chop ink, rice paper
Chinese themed stamps, inkpad, paper (there are stamps for the moon character)
Chinese clothing (a hat, vest with frog closures, etc.)
(training chopsticks?), chopsticks and something to pick up. Larger objects like pompoms or cotton balls for the youngest, perhaps beads with Chinese characters on them for older children to try if they wanted to. Try the actual combination before taking it in. This is especially good at a Montessori-style school, but many teachers will use it.

The Mid-Autumn Moon by Li Qiao

A full moon hangs high in the chilly sky,
All say it's the same everywhere, round and bright.
But how can one be sure thousands of li away
Wind and perhaps rain may not be marring the night?

You can find more on poetry here. Childbook created a lesson plan for K - 4 in 2007.

Mooncakes

If you want to make a moon-ish cookie, here is an egg-free and dairy-free cookie recipe that should satisfy any schools anti-allergy policies. It is similar to German “thumbprint” cookies. For something closer to the original that can be done in one afternoon, see Jennifer's adaptation.

Handout

2004-09-19T07:40:00.000-07:00

Zhōng qīu jié 中秋節
Mid-Autumn Festival

The Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle and the moon is important to the Chinese. Autumn Moon Festival, literally ‘Mid-Autumn Festival’, or the Birthday of the Moon is on 8/15 of the lunar calendar, a full moon night. It is a time to have the family together, eat a festive meal including moon cakes, and enjoy the moonlight. Children & adults carry paper lanterns and climb hills to get a good view of the full moon. They give thanks to the bright, silvery moon of the eighth lunar month. Some call it a “Chinese Thanksgiving”. (In Taiwan this is also Teacher’s Day.)

When the moon is round, families unite. Yuè yuán, rén yuán. (月圓, 人圓)

The next Mid-Autumn Festivals (lunar 8/15) are: Sept. 25, 2007; Sept. 14, 2008; Oct. 3, 2009; Sept. 22, 2010, Sept. 12, 2011; Sept 30, 2012, Sept. 19, 2013; Sept. 8, 2014; Sept. 27, 2015; Sept 15, 2016; Oct. 4, 2017; and Sept. 24, 2018. There are also converters on the web to determine Western dates from Chinese lunar dates and vice versa.

Not that long ago, most people in the world were farmers. They grew their own vegetables and fruit and they raised their own pigs, cows, and chickens for milk, eggs, and meat. Sometimes they had a lot of food and sometimes not enough. But after the fall harvest families and friends would gather together to give thanks for all they had to eat, for the rain, the sunlight and the earth that made all life possible. In America this holiday is called Thanksgiving. In China, the people celebrate the Autumn Moon Festival. If we lived in North China, wheat is important; in South China, rice is more important.

Mooncakes are round like the moon. The round shape is a symbol for togetherness and harmony. Made of flaked pastry, they often have egg yolks in the center, to represent the moon, and sweet fillings of red bean paste, lotus seed paste, coconut or nuts. The sweetness of them represents good fortune or good harvest. Traditional red bean paste filling takes days to make. Special molds are used which press special designs in the top. Now “everyone” buys mooncakes instead of making them at home.

On the evening of the Autumn Moon Festival, people carrying paper lanterns climb hills and mountains to get a good view of the full moon. They give thanks to the bright, silvery moon of the eighth lunar month. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also partially a Festival of Lights. The lanterns they carry all have candles in them. Before electricity, people were more aware of the length of the days and the stars, and what happened in the night sky.

Days in China, as days here, get shorter in the fall as there are more hours of darkness each day, but the moon triumphs. They say that the moon is its roundest on 8/15 (lunar).

The later one stays up, the longer one’s parents live. (Although the family “should” be together for Autumn Moon festival and it is always good to remember and worship one’s ancestors, this is not the special day to remember the dead. That is Qing Ming, celebrated on April 4th, one of the few holidays using the Gregorian calendar.)

There are many legends about the moon that people remember at the Mid-Autumn Festival. The most popular are about how long ago Chang Èr, lady moon, flew to the moon and how, not quite so long ago, mooncakes saved the day. Chang Èr is also known as Lady Moon and still lives on the moon with a rabbit and a cassia tree. Many mooncakes are stamped with designs of the Moon Lady, the Jade Rabbit, or groves of cassia trees. (Most ground cinnamon sold in the USA is actually cassia.) When you look at the full moon, who or what do you see?

Longer version: According to one legend, 10 suns blazed in the sky in ancient times. The heat burned the earth, fields could no longer produce crops, and people were going to die. The emperor asked for archers to shoot all the suns. Brave Hou Yi was the best archer in the land. He shot down nine of the suns and stopped before shooting the last one. For saving the people, Hou Yi became King and was given an immortality pill or elixir (perhaps from Queen of Wang Mu on the Kun Lun Mountain).

Unfortunately, Hou Yi became a tyrant indulging in debauchery and random killing. His subjects were afraid and hated him. His wife, Chang Èr, was heart-broken by her husband’s change and what was happening to the country. She knew that if he took the immortality pill, the country would never recover. So, to save her countrymen, Chang Èr stole the immortality pill and swallowed it herself. Her body became so light that she flew into the air. Chang Er escaped to the bright, full moon on 8/15 of the lunar calendar. She became the Moon Goddess. She still lives there alone except for the Jade Rabbit and cassia trees.

At this special time of year, the Moon Lady will grant your secret wish. If you have a special wish? Don't tell anyone; don't say it out loud! Tell your secret wish to Chang Èr.

Another Mooncake Story:

During the 14th century, China was under the harsh rule of the Mongols. A great number of Chinese secretly met and decided to revolt against the Mongols. Secret messages about the time and place of the revolt had to be sent to the Chinese people in the cities and villages. The Chinese were unable to come up with a plan to deliver the messages without the Mongols discovering until they thought of embedding them in mooncakes. They were made, the secret messages inserted, and distributed by the Chinese to all their friends and relatives.

When the Chinese cut the mooncakes to eat, they found the secret message about the revolt. On 8/15 of the lunar calendar, the Chinese revolted against the Mongols and drove them out of China. Today some bakers put square printed pieces of paper on mooncakes so you may find may find one on the bottom of a cake or pasted on top of the cake box. This folktale is not necessarily supported by historical records.

For a PDF copy of a (two-sided) one-page handout, or an 8 page illustrated story, just send email to mus-mandarin@wubison.com . For more festival information, read Wikipedia's festival entry.

Picture Books:

I did not care for Moon Festival by Ching Yeung Russell as a read to a group book. I'd recommend using the pictures and your own words.
Although it does not mention Mid-Autumn Festival, I have enjoyed using Round is A Moon Cake by Roseanne Thong with groups at this time of year. While reading, I passed around many of the objects she mentions (round paper lantern, round handleless Chinese teacup, rectangular hong bao envelope, square chop, etc.) I filled the square box that the ink for my chop came in with plastic toy cats (and tigers and lions) for the square cat basket mentioned in the book.

Updated: September 2007

Books

2004-09-14T05:59:00.000-07:00

Fiction

Moon Lady * by Amy Tan MAF.

Moon Festival by Ching Yeung Russell/Z.Y. Zhang MAF

Round is A Mooncake ** by Rosemary Thong

How The Rooster Got His Crown * Retold by Amy Lowry Poole (398.2 POO in some libraries)
A Miao tale. Their Haoyi sounds like the Hou Yi of others' Mid-Autumn Festival fame.

Paper Lanterns Stefan Czernecki

The Magic Paintbrush Refers to the Moon Lady but does not explain Mid-Autumn Festival. MAF

"Reference Books"

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds, Leslie Swartz CNY, MAF
Background, crafts, recipes, and legends for 5 Chinese holidays: Chinese New Year, Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Qing Ming and Dragon Boat Festival.

Mooncakes & Hungry Ghosts Carol Stepanchuk & C. Wong CNY, MAF

Good Luck Life: The Essential Guide To Chinese American Celebrations and Culture by Rosemary Gong CNY, MAF

updated: 9/2007

Resources

2004-09-12T07:41:00.000-07:00

There is plenty more about Mid-Autumn Festival, Harvest Festivals, Chinese festivals and China. Here’s more information about the festival, folktales, making mooncakes (although 'no one' does it anymore) and the lady in the moon. The main subjects under Mid-Autumn Festival are: mooncakes, their role in rebellions against the Mongols, the Moon Goddess, and the Jade Rabbit. You may also want to learn more about the Jade Emperor or less common tales such as one of Wu Kang Chopping Down the Cassia Tree. These links were good as of September 2004.

Note: Not all versions of Chang Er’s tale may be appropriate for your child(ren). It is a tale of love and infidelity with a bit of drunkenness, in addition to a tale of love and faith, the birth of agriculture and animal domestication in China.

http://www.familyculture.com/holidays/augustmoonfest.htm includes links to books and other sites, and lists other “thanksgiving”/harvest festivals.
http://www.montreal.com/events/1999/09/24moon.html includes how to make mooncakes, original moon festival folktale & Chang Er, the moon goddess
http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/references.htm

Books on Mid-Autumn Festival and China are available from a number of sources or can be ordered from your local bookseller. I assume that these good folks will be around for many more years: www.childbook.com, www.fccny.org. www.pearlriver.com and www.chinasprout.com also sell China objects, mooncakes, chopsticks, decorative objects, and arts and crafts supplies.

Picture Books on China include:

Moon Lady by Amy Tan
The Empress and the Silkworm by Lily Toy Hong
Moon Festival by Ching Yeung Russell
Round is A Mooncake by Rosemary Thong. (also Red is a dragon, One is a Drummer)
The Seven Chinese Sisters By Kathy Tucker
The Five Chinese Brothers (Paperstar) by Claire Huchet Bishop, Kurt Wiese
The Seven Chinese Brothers(Blue Ribbon Book) by Margaret Mahy, Jean Mou-Sier Tsang

Moon Information

http://www.thenazareneway.com/current_moon_phase.htm

Why is the Harvest Moon the brightest?

Why is the moon closest to the Autumnal Equinox called the “Harvest Moon”? http://earthsky.com/scienceqs/browsefaq.php?f=106

Mooncake Websites

http://kevdesign.com/midautumnfestival/mooncake-variety.htm

Recipes

(first Link broken)

http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/famtrad/foodfolkart/mooncakeofferings/mooncake.htm

http://kevdesign.com/midautumnfestival/recipes.htm

http://adoptshoppe.com/images/artfulgifts/MoonCookiesRecipe.pdf

http://adoptshoppe.com/images/artfulgifts/MoonCakeRecipe.pdf

http://thestar.com.my/kuali/recipes/lunar.html

Mooncake Filling Recipes

http://www.kitchenlink.com/msgbrd/board_3/2000/JUL/4383.html

Easy Chinese Moon Cakes: similar to German jam thumbprint cookies.

http://www.dltk-holidays.com/china/easy_chinese_mooncakes.htm

http://www.newton.mec.edu/Angier/DimSum/china__dim_sum__moon_festi.html

Molds

Hand-carved, wooden mooncake molds are not always easy to find. Mooncake molds are custom-made usually with the baker’s insignia. The mold is used to shape each mooncake and some have used them off-season to shape butter. The following places have had them in the past but may not always: www.chinasprout.com, www.adoptshoppe.com, www.wokshop.com, and www.pearlriver.com.

Last reviewed: August 2007

Links still being updated.