Mid Autumn Festival (中秋节）

So today is the Mid Autumn Festival (中秋节）. This will be the first time in China where this holiday will be observed with a day off from work. Even though the actual holiday this year (its 8/15 on the lunar calendar) lands on a Sunday, businesses will be closed on the following Monday.

The Mid Autumn Festival is marked by the gifting of mooncakes (月饼）to friends and family members. I like to compare these mooncakes to fruitcakes that traditionally gets gifted around during Christmas time. Neither are particularly tasty but are both ubiquitous.

The gifting of mooncakes is such a tradition here that it is taking on a life of its own. Its similar to Christmas in some ways, except the only gift to give is the mooncake. Businesses make sure that they give mooncakes to their important customers, not doing so will be seen as a sign of disrespect.

I personally don't like to eat them, but we get so many from friends and business associates that we don't know what to do with them. Well, at the very least I get a day off from work and that would be the best thing about this holiday.