About.Com : The Moon Festival
I went into the chinese grocery store this morning to pick up some green tea and soymilk. I was surprised when there was a huge line at the checkout, because I usually don't see a long line at this time of day. Then, as my eyes went past the checkout line, I noticed the table of mooncakes, and then I remembered. Today is the day of the mid-autumn festival.
We always celebrated two major lunar-calendar holidays: Chinese New Year, and the Mid-Autumn Festival. Growing up, I didn't realize that having mooncakes were to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, I only knew that it was a rare occasion when we had them, and being a child, I never made the connection.
Gah. Typo. Correction: "...when Vega and Altair are visible in the sky on a clear night...."
Bleh. =)D
Yes, I noticed them selling mooncakes earlier this summer too. I've only seen the traditional style mooncakes here, and I think it would be interesting to try some of the other varieties.