Mooncake Festival

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The Mooncake Festival,also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is a much loved celebration among the Chinese around the world.

The Mooncake Festival is traditionally celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar.

Because the Chinese and Western calendars don’t sync up, the actual celebratory dates change annually, and this year, it falls on 3 October (see events further down).

How Mooncake Festival is celebrated

Even though the festival is over 3000 years old and dates back to the Zhou Dynasty, it is still very much a popular celebration all over the world within Chinese communities.

The traditional food of the festival is the mooncake, a dessert of which there are many different varieties.

Prior to the festival, the Chinese will hit the shops (see 'Where to buy' below) to stock up on mooncakes. These don’t come cheap; it’s not uncommon to pay $50 to $80 for a box of four, especially if they’re imported from Hong Kong.

Family members and friends would also normally gather for dinner, and in many parts of Asia, kids hang out with friends in their neighbourhoods after dinner with their bright and beautiful lanterns.

>> Check out this step-by-step guide on how to celebrate Mooncake Festival.

Events in New Zealand

Moon Festival

Date/time: Saturday 3 October, 2pm - 10pm
Venue: New Lynn Community Centre, 45 Totara Ave, New Lynn, Waitakere City
Cost: Free
Contact: Campbell Larsen, 021 582 304 / campbell.larsen@gmail.com

NZ Chinese Association dinner ( Waikato )

Date/time: Saturday 3 October 2009, 6.30pm
Venue: Genghis Khan Restaurant
Price: $20 per person
Contact(s): Sid Lim (07 871 4587), Kang Hai Tan (07 855 5600)

Where to buy mooncake

Shops you can get mooncake from in Auckland:

Buy online:

Shopmalaysia.co.nz

Books to check out

Titles available from Auckland City Libraries:

Mooncakes and hungry ghosts by Carol Stepanchuk and Charles Wong

sam minchin

was the last to edit Mooncake Festival

on Oct 5th, 2009 at 10:36 PM

Auckland City Libraries

created Mooncake Festival

on Sep 25th, 2009 at 1:36 PM

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nzbc

said Moon Festival September 12, 2011.

Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival, celbrated on the full moon in the eighth lunar month and sees the Chinese giving thanks for the summer harvest. Moon cake is traditionally eaten at this time, while lanterns are sometimes lit and dragon dances performed. In China and other Asian countries - the celebrations in 2011 falls on Monday, September 12, 2011. 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.

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Posted on August 22nd, 2011 at 7:29 PM

nzbc

said Waitakere 1 September 2011

Waitākere Moon Festival is a well-established and much-loved occasion celebrating the cultural diversity of the city, with a particular focus on Chinese language and traditions through the sharing of music, dance, arts, crafts and cuisine. New Lynn Community Centre, New Lynn

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Posted on August 22nd, 2011 at 7:32 PM

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