The Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival that takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the Lunar calendar. Or it falls around September or early October to the Gregorian calendar. It is the second most important event after the Chinese New Year during the full moon. Mid-Autumn appeared thousands of years ago. It first appears in the Rite of Zhou (周礼). More precisely during the Warring States Period (475–221 BC). But the term relates only to time and season; there was no celebration at that time.
At first, the Mid-Autumn Festival was to celebrate a bountiful harvest. However, some say it was because ancient people saw the bright moon above the sky, round and yellow. Then they were inspired to make round cakes like the moon to eat, after that there were more and more enticing stories about it.
Chinese people believe that the full moon is a symbol for gathering with family. On the eve of the mid-autumn festival, they will have dinner with their extended family (usually three generations) at their grandparents’ house. Those who live far from their parents will at least try to return to their parent’s house to enjoy dinner together. Therefore, traffic jams may occur during this celebration. Make sure you don’t come empty-handed. Bring some gifts for them. There are various kinds of presents that you can give them. Maybe some of the below can be your gift inspiration.
Mooncake
The traditional food that should always be there is moon cake. The decorations on the mooncakes represent intricate traditional Chinese symbols and designs such as flowers, vines, and animals. Mooncakes are round because, in Chinese culture, round symbolizes unity. Sharing Mooncakes between families during the Mid-Autumn Festival is one way to celebrate the unity of a family. The salted egg yolk in the center of the cake symbolizes the full moon. Mooncake consists of 2 parts: the skin and the filling. The soft skin will envelop a dense and rich filling. You should print the top decorations beautifully before baking. The filling of the cake contains sugar and lotus seed powder. After that, at the top, there is a sign like a postage stamp which generally uses Chinese symbols or characters. However, over time, the form of this stamp began to be modified.
Fresh Crab
In China, fall is the best season to enjoy crab. That’s why this dish is on the list of gift ideas for the Fall Festival. It is a tradition for the whole family to sit down and eat together. Its soft meat, high nutrition, and delicious broth taste become an incomparable pleasure. These animals have a high rate of protein and amino acid content. The habit of eating crab originates from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, which have many lakes and rivers. But it has spread throughout China.
Tea
When they enjoy desserts, such as mooncakes, a cup of tea is the perfect combination. In China, it has always been considered a healthy drink. Since mooncakes have a taste that may be too sweet, a cup of tea can compensate.It is also useful for their daily life. They can serve it to guests who come to visit. That’s why we highly recommend it as a gift that you can give during the Autumn Festival or other celebrations. Some types of tea that are suitable are black and King’s tea. It is a mixture of oolong and ginseng that goes well with mooncakes. Then there is Osmanthus tea made from fragrant osmanthus flowers. This goes well with the red bean mooncake. Click on this gift delivery Singapore post if you want to buy them a tea set.
Fruit Basket
A basket of fruit parcels is also a common gift. The most popular fruits for celebrating it are pears, grapes, grapefruit, and pomegranates. The mentioned fruits all ripen in the fall and have a good meaning. In particular, pears (; Lí) should not be given as gifts, as they sound the same as the word (Líkāi) means to go in Chinese. But this fruit is also eaten for the same reason. Since pears symbolize separation, we eat them to avoid parting with loved ones throughout the coming year. By eating them, we have high hopes of reuniting with them. For example, eating pears has the meaning of an inseparable family. They believe that eating seasonal fruit is healthier. Therefore gifting a parcel with the fruits mentioned above is a good idea.
Organic Rice and Olive Oil
Rice and oil are the most common ingredients in the daily life of Chinese people. More and more people are now aware of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. The advantages of Organic Rice are that it has high nutritional and mineral content, glucose, carbohydrates, and protein content. The content is nutrients and minerals that are easily decomposed. So it is safe for diabetics. And good for diet, prevent cancer, heart disease, gout, high blood pressure, and vertigo. People are increasingly paying attention to the nutritional value contained in food. Therefore, organic rice and olive oil are becoming increasingly popular gifts in this era.
Hampers
Hampers are gifts for relatives, friends, to lovers. You can give hampers containing the things above, even combine them. You can bring a box of mooncakes and tea. It can be a perfect gift to enjoy mooncakes at the moon festival. Or you can also choose other gifts besides the ones above, such as vitamins, wine, and flowers. You can use flower delivery Singapore services if you don’t have time to spend with your parents.
Ryan Myers is a business blog author and writer. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009 with a degree in Political Science. His favorite topics to write about are blogging for small businesses and becoming an entrepreneur.
