Marcus’ Blog

On 18 September it is officially the mid-autumn festival, or also known as Moon Cake Festival in Hong Kong.

Besides Lunar New Year which is celebrated in late January or early February, mid-autumn festival is the second most important public holiday in Hong Kong.

What gives this day a very nice atmosphere is that families and friends will go out and sit ?under the moon? carrying their lanterns. So any open space, beach, rooftop etc. will be cramped with Hong Kong-ers bringing lanterns, candles etc and watching the moon.

Furthermore, it?s a time for families to come together and feast, and eat lots of moon cakes.

Personally I?m no fan of the moon cakes ? they are very rich cakes with lotus seed and egg yoke inside (duck egg). They kind of look like the famous Dutch ?gevuld speculaas? but the first time I bit one, I was unpleasantly surprised by the totally different taste?

There is an interesting story behind the moon cakes. In the 14th century China was battling the Mongols. The myth is that a certain Chinese city which was held by the Mongols was liberated using moon cakes. A priest would enter the city carrying moon cakes. Inside the moon cakes where hidden messages that advised the Chinese to co-ordinate an uprise to the Mongols on the day of the mid-autumn festival. The Mongols would not eat moon cakes and hence the strategy seemed to work.

So this is a kind of Chinese Trojan Horse story!

For me, I?ll enjoy my day off on 19 September, but will stay off the moon cakes for now.