Moon cakes are offerings to worship the moon god in the ancient Mid-Autumn Festival, and they have been handed down from time to time, forming the custom of eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The ancients regarded the full moon as a symbol of reunion, so it was also called "Reunion Festival" on August 15th. Throughout the ages, people often use "the full moon" and "the lack of the moon" to describe "joys and sorrows", and the wanderers who live in other places rely on the months to express their deep affection.
In ancient times. After the Mid-Autumn Festival in the evening, the elders in the family will divide the cake into pieces according to the number of people, one for each person, and if someone is not at home, leave a copy for them to show family reunion.
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Moon cakes have a long history in China. According to historical records, as early as the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, there was a kind of "Taishi cake" in memory of Taishi Wen Zhong, which was the "ancestor" of moon cakes in China. When Zhang Qian was sent to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty, sesame seeds and walnuts were introduced, which added auxiliary materials to the production of moon cakes. At this time, a round cake filled with walnuts appeared, which was called "Hu cake".
In the Tang Dynasty, there were bakers engaged in production among the people, and pastry shops began to appear in Chang 'an, the capital. It is said that one year in the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei enjoyed the moon and ate Hu Bing, Tang Xuanzong thought the name of Hu Bing was not nice. Yang Guifei looked up at the bright moon and blurted out "moon cake", and the name of "moon cake" gradually spread among the people.
In the Ming Dynasty, eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival gradually spread among the people. At that time, ingenious bakers often printed fairy tales related to the moon, such as the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon, on moon cakes, making them popular among the people.
By the Qing Dynasty, the production technology of moon cakes had been greatly improved, and the varieties were also increasing. With people's increasingly rich experience in making moon cakes, the types of moon cakes are also emerging in the market, and the technology is becoming more and more exquisite.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Mooncakes (China Traditional Snacks)
People's Daily Online-About the origin, legend and custom of Mid-Autumn Festival: Why do you eat moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival?