MooncakesaretoMid-AutumnFestivalwhatmincepiesaretoChristmas.Theseasonalroundcakestraditionallyhaveasweetfillingoflotusseedpasteorredbeanpasteandoftenhaveoneormoresaltedduckeggsinthecentertorepresentthemoon.Andthemooniswhatthiscelebrationisallabout.Mid-AutumnFestivalfallsonthe15thdayofthe8thmonth,itisthetimewhenthemoonissaidtobeatitsbrightestandfullest.

　　Therearetwolegendswhichclaimtoexplainthetraditionofeatingmooncakes.OneTangDynastymythholdsthattheEarthoncehad10sunscirclingit.Onedayall10sunsappearedatonce,scorchingtheplanetwiththeirheat.ItwasthankstoaskillfularchernamedHouYithattheEarthwassaved.Heshotdownallbutoneofthesuns.Ashisreward,theHeavenlyQueenMothergaveHouYitheElixirofImmortality,butshewarnedhimthathemustuseitwisely.HouYiignoredheradviceand,corruptedbyfameandfortune,becameatyrannicalleader.Chang-Er,hisbeautifulwife,couldnolongerstandbyandwatchhimabusehispowersoshestolehisElixirandfledtothemoontoescapehisangrywrath.Andthusbeganthelegendofthebeautifulwomaninthemoon,theMoonFairy.

　　ThesecondlegendhasitthatduringtheYuanDynasty,anundergroundgroupledbyZhuYuanZangwasdeterminedtoridthecountryofMongoliandominance.Themooncakewascreatedtocarryasecretmessage.Whenthecakewasopenedandthemessageread,anuprisingwasunleashedwhichsuccessfullyroutedtheMongolians.Ithappenedatthetimeofthefullmoon,which,somesay,explainswhymooncakesareeatenatthistime.MooncakesareusuallystampedwithChinesecharactersindicatingthenameofthebakeryandthetypeoffillingused.Somebakerieswillevenstampthemwithyourfamilynamesothatyoucangivepersonalisedonestofriendsandfamily.Theyareusuallypresentedinboxesoffourwhichindicatethefourphasesofthemoon.Traditionalmooncakesaremadewithmeltedlard,buttodayvegetableoilismoreoftenusedintheinterestsofhealth.Mooncakesarenotforthediet-consciousastheyareloadedwithcalories.ThebestwaytowashdownoneofthesestickycakesiswithacupofChinesetea,especiallyJasmineorChrysanthemumtea,whichaidsthedigestion.

　　中秋节吃月饼就像西方人圣诞节吃百果馅饼一样,是必不可少的.圆圆的月饼中通常包有香甜的莲子馅或是红豆馅,馅的中央还会加上一个金黄的咸鸭蛋黄来代表月亮.而月亮正是中秋节庆祝的主题.每年农历8月15日人们一起庆祝中秋,据说这一天的月亮是一年中最亮最圆的.

　　关于吃月饼这个传统的来历有两个传说.一个是唐朝的神话故事,说的是当时地球被10个太阳包围着.有一天10个太阳同时出现在天空中,巨大的热量几乎把地球烤焦了.多亏一位名叫后羿的神箭手射下了9个太阳,地球才被保住.为了奖励后羿,王母娘娘赐给后羿一种长生不老药,但是王母警告他必须正当使用.然而后羿没有理会王母娘娘的警告,他被名利冲昏了头脑,变成了一个暴君.后羿美丽的妻子嫦娥对他的暴行再也不能袖手旁观,于是她偷走了后羿的长生不老药,飞到月亮上逃避后羿的狂怒.从此就有了关于月宫仙子嫦娥,这个月亮上的美丽女人的传说.

　　第二个传说讲的是在元朝,朱元璋领导的起义军计划起义来摆脱蒙古族的统治.他们用月饼来传递密信.掰开月饼就可以找到里面的密信,起义军通过这种方式成功的发动了起义,赶走了元朝的统治者.这场起义发生在八月十五之时,于是中秋节吃月饼的习俗便在民间传开来.