Tết Trung Thu - Mid Autumn Festival

Tết Trung Thu, also known as the Mid Autumn Festival or Lantern Festival, is celebrated in Vietnam and among Chinese communities worldwide on the 15th day of every eighth month of the lunar calendar. Every year, about a month before the holiday, stalls selling mooncakes pop up all over Saigon. Mooncakes, in my opinion, are akin to the West's "fruit cake" tradition, which nobody really likes or eats more than a bite of... Mooncake is a pastry made of lotus seed paste and usually has an egg yolk, right in the center which represents the moon. The holiday dates back several centuries and commemorates the end of summer harvesting, among other things; several legends are also associated with the holiday. Lanterns are a big part of the festival & a small little street in Saigon selling lanterns is packed the night of the festival... This year we had a great time celebrating with friends visiting the lantern street & eating mooncakes!


Traditional mooncake (photo by: snpfood.com)