When:      Saturday 29 September. From 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm (Open to public, free of Charge)

 Venue:     Two venues

1        Botany Town Centre outside New World from 1.00 p.m. to 5.00 p.m. (Outdoor Lion Dance and performances) then parade from the Town Centre to the church at approximately 5.30 p.m.

2        St. Columba Church 480 Ti Rakau Drive from 7.00 p.m. to about 9.00 p.m. (Indoor multicultural performance )

The Mid-Autumn or Moon Cake Festival

• Celebrated since the moon-worshipping practices of the Shang dynasty, over 3000 years ago but becoming �official� in the Northern Song dynasty 960 � 1127
• Associated with the full moon of the mid-Autumn period in eastern Asia � in September or early October
• Very much a family occasion to celebrate the pre-winter harvest with feasts and the eating of moon cakes. Sometimes called the Family Reunion Festival � in this respect similar to the NZ Christmas family get-togethers
• Many different ways of celebrating the event depending on location in China � many with incense burning, lantern lighting, tree planting and Fire Dragon dancing - but all include the enjoyment of moon cakes, baked specially for the festival period
• Also many legends and folklore associated with the occasion � story telling with typical conflict between good and bad, heroes and heroines and fairy-like beings.

The Moon Cake

• At first, these were sacrificial offerings to the moon, together with other foods and wine.
• Now they are a special symbol of the festival and the coming together of family members either physically or in thoughts
• Can be spicy, sweet, salty or a combination of all three.
• Size � about 10cm in diameter and 4 -5 cm thick
• Usually pastry crusts but of varying thickness � chewy and glossy crusts are the most common but some are flaky
• Fillings are most commonly of sweetened bean or lotus seed paste, often with hard duck egg yolks but there are many varieties � some with ham or other meats, sesame and other seed mixtures and in recent times even chocolate. Varieties have multiplied to suit changing tastes and increasing health awareness.

TASTE and ENJOY!