DAVENPORT, Iowa — It's nearly time for one of the largest holidays in Eastern Asian countries and cultures!
The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is celebrated on the night of the 15th day of the eighth month in the Asian lunar calendar. That's right around the night of the full harvest moon. This year, the holiday falls on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Locally, the Quad Cities Chinese Association is inviting the public to join a Mid-Autumn Moon Festival luncheon on Saturday, Sept. 14.
It will start at 11:30 a.m. at Izumi Steakhouse at 4901 Utica Ridge Road in Davenport. Meals will not be provided, but mooncakes will. You do not need to be a member to attend, but you do need to RSVP by Thursday, Sept. 12. To do so, you are asked to email qc.chinese@msn.com.
The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebrates families, reunions and thankfulness for the past year's harvest and harvests to come. It's often marked by lanterns, mooncakes and an emphasis on relationships, courtships and even marriages.
"Mooncakes are the quintessential symbol of [the festival]," Hua Mei Chang, member of the QCCA said. "These round pastries are often filled with red bean paste or sweet lotus seed paste, or even with savory ingredients like salty egg yolks."
Chang says even the shape of the cakes are meant to embody the full moon while representing completeness and unity.
Chang joined The Current on News 8 to discuss the origins and traditions of the festival. You can view her full interview in the above video.
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