Celebrated on the 15th day of the eight month of the lunar calendar, it is a time for family members and loved ones to congregate and enjoy the full moon - an auspicious symbol of abundance, harmony and luck for the Chinese. The night of the festival usually promises colourful brightly-lit lantern processions. It is also the time adults indulge in a variety of mooncakes and children in a vast range of lanterns of every imaginable form and shape.

Ever wondered why Mooncake Festival is celebrated?

History has it that there are many sides of the story as to the Mooncake Festival’s origin. According to some, it celebrates the overthrow of the Mongols during the end of the Yuan Dynasty in China. During that era, the rebels passed each other secret messages hidden inside round cakes which later came to be known as mooncakes. Inside each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. This led to the establishment of the Ming dynasty. It is believed that mooncakes are eaten to commemorate this event.

Children, however, are showered with many legends relating to the mooncake. There is a story of the moon fairy living in a crystal palace, who comes out to dance on the moon's shadowed surface. The legend surrounding the "lady living in the moon" dates back to ancient times, to a day when ten suns appeared at once in the sky. The Emperor then ordered a famous archer to shoot down the nine extra suns in exchange for a pill that can make him immortal as a reward. However, the Empress found the pill and consumed it. As a result, she vanished and what lives on is her everlasting beauty seen on the full moon on the night of the festival.

Ever tasted a mooncake?

By tradition, the baked pastry of the 3-inch squared mooncake is filled with lotus seed paste, red bean paste or black bean paste. Today, there are various hybrids to these rich mooncakes. It may be filled with everything from dates, nuts, and fruits. Even Haagen-Daz has inspired the birth of ice cream mooncakes.

Whatever the filling may be, the vital ingredient has to be the salty yolk normally stuffed in the center of each cake to represent the full moon. Nevertheless, more elaborate versions of mooncakes can contain up to four egg yolks, each as a symbol to the four phases of the moon. Needless to say, celebrate all you want but mind the calorie count too.