This upcoming Sunday is the celebration of the Moon Festival, which is a very big holiday here in Taiwan.  Think 4th of July/Thanksgiving.  Its a time for families to get together, there’s a lot of food, and everyone goes out and admires the full moon.  There are a few stories behind this holiday, but I’m only going to share the one my roommates heard and agreed upon.  It was also supported by Wikipedia:

“Version 3: The earth once had ten suns circling over it, each taking turn to illuminate the earth. One day, however, all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. Houyi, a strong and tyrannical archer, saved the earth by shooting down nine of the suns. He eventually became King, but grew to become a despot.

One day, Houyi stole the elixir of life from a goddess. However, his beautiful wife, Chang’e, drank it in order to save the people from the her husband’s tyrannical rule. After drinking it, she found herself floating, and flew to the moon. Houyi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he did not shoot down the moon.”

In addition to Wikipedia’s explanation, I was also told that every year Houyi ordered all people under his rule to go outside and admire the full moon, and thus be admiring Chang’e.

All good holidays must have a traditional food to go with it.  Accordingly the Moon Festival boasts its ‘moon cakes’ which come in a wide variety of flavors: dried egg yolk, red bean, coffee, peanut butter, coconut, chocolate, and who knows what else.  In order to feel welcome and apart of this tradition, our whole apartment has been receiving an absurd number of moon cakes.  I think each one of us has received AT LEAST one box full, and its not even close to Sunday yet.  I’m predicting a marathon mooncake eating event in our future.

the beginning of our mooncake acquisition

For more versions, and an interesting history of Yin/Yang check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival.