Moon Festival is a special national holiday in Taiwan that no one would want to miss.
You probably have heard that every year Taiwanese celebrate moon festival with family and friends. However, do you know what they do exactly to celebrate this wonderful day? What’s the purpose of celebrating moon festival and the mysterious story behind the round shining moon?
“Round” in Mandarin has the meaning of “Reunion” which is why Taiwanese spend most time with family and friends to enjoy the full white moon together.
Moon Gazing
Raise your head and watch the moon is obviously the most indispensable thing on the list! Seeing the moon makes me feel close to my home because it’s the same moon my dearest family is looking at no matter how far I am away from them.
Beer, soda, and BBQ
Young people love to celebrate moon festival with a sip of soda and mouthwatering barbecue. You can smell barbecue in almost every neighborhood. To make things easier, people also go to barbecue restaurants where they can save a lot of trouble preparing.
Mooncake with tea and pomelo 
For me, a cup of tea with a slice of sweet mooncake and juicy pomelo is the most enjoyable way to celebrate. Egg yolk pastry and red bean paste cake are the most traditional must-try desserts in Taiwan especially for moon festival. (For the record, mashed date is my favorite flavor haha.) After finishing the yummy fruit, try making a customized pomelo hat!
Fairy tales
Teachers and parents pass down different interesting stories to kids to explain the origin of moon festival. The most known one I believe is about a girl named “Chang Erh” swallowed magic elixir which made her flew straight to the moon. Every year, her husband set a table with her favorite food and watch the moon hoping to see her again from earth.
Moon festival is around the corner again. As long as you are having fun, it is the best way to celebrate. Hope all of you will be enjoying this meaningful day with whom you love in your own special way!
Want to learn more about moon festival or other cultures? Leave a comment or email Evelyn at evelynloveblog@gmail.com for more interesting cultures!
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