Mid-Autmn Festival

Today is the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, so that means there's a full moon and our last holiday scheduled until Chinese New Year! [Double 10 and New Year's Day fall on weekends this year, so they don't count :( ] I don't really understand why this particular full moon is important every year, but we certainly appreciate the holiday. Typically people celebrate by having a BBQ, giving moon cakes (think fruitcake at Christmas), eating pomellos, and admiring the moon.

You might be wondering, "what are pomellos?" Have no fear because I'll tell ya!

Think of a grapefruit that's about the size of a toddler's head. It's got really thick skin and a mild citrus flavor. They're in season now and that's why they're so popular at this festival. In the days before toys were plentiful, adults cut the pomello skin like a flower and then placed them on their kid's heads as hats and play-things. We've got plenty of toys, but the tradition continues. Here are a couple of pictures from last weekend so you can see what I'm talking about.Kate didn't really like this idea, so she pulled hers off pretty quickly. I did get one quick shot, though.

Later today we're going to meet some friends who are barbecuing, and we'll certainly be able to see the moon since the typhoon over the weekend cleared away all the clouds.