Welcome to the Macau-China Bulletin: October 2010

"When the moon is full, mankind is one!"

A Hong Konger walks by illuminations set up at popular Victoria Park to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong on Tuesday, September 21, 2010. Like ancient Chinese poets, Hong Kong people appreciate the beauty of the full moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Chinese people believe that on that day, the moon will be the biggest, roundest and brightest, and the term "round" implies family reunion in Chinese.

In China and throughout many Asian countries people celebrate the Harvest Moon on the 15th day of the eighth month of their lunar calendar. The date in the Western calendar changes annually. This year, the Mid-Autumn festival was on Wednesday, September 22, 2010. The Harvest Moon or Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie) is a day of family reunions much like a Western Thanksgiving. Chinese people believe that on that day, the moon is the roundest and brightest signaling a time of completeness and abundance.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, children are delighted to stay up past midnight, parading multi-colored lanterns into the wee hours as families take to the streets to moon-gaze.

It is also a romantic night for lovers, who sit holding hands on hilltops, riverbanks and park benches, captivated by the brightest moon of the year! The festival dates back to the Tang dynasty in 618 A.D., and as with many celebrations in China there are ancient legends closely associated with it.

Hong Kong villagers raise a paper lantern (Hung Ming Lantern) to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong on Wednesday, September. 22, 2010.

In Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore, it's sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival, but whatever name it goes by, the centuries-old festival remains a beloved annual ritual celebrating an abundance of food and family.

A Devotee in Prayer as she burns the joss sticks

Mooncakes earned their popularity during the Yuan Dynasty (1200 A.D.- 1368 A.D) when, as legends say, the Mongols who had established the Yuan Dynasty were too oppressive, and were overthrown by the Chinese with the help of this simple dessert. Since Mongols did not eat mooncakes, the Chinese took advantage of this cultural difference and planned a revolt against them.

Leaders of the revolts distributed mooncakes, under the pretense of celebrating the emperor's longevity, to other Chinese people. The mooncakes held secret messages baked within the skin, informing people to revolt on the 15th of the 8th moon, also the Mid Autumn festival. The rebellion was successful and mooncakes were forever kept a national tradition of China. Enjoy a short video on the Mid-Autumn Festival