Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival is coming up in September. But oftentimes, we celebrate this occasion by the very surface of it, to which there is a full moon and we enjoy yummy mooncakes together. So let’s dive deeper into the significance of this joyous occasion.
Understanding The Significance Of This Occasion Traditionally In China:
As this festival dates back to ancient China, there are a lot of variations as to how this occasion came about. However, the common thread is that this festival happens on the 15th of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar, which is said to have the fullest, brightest moon of the year in the middle of the autumn harvest season.
Chinese believe that the round shape of the moon symbolises wholeness and unity, which is why this celebration highlights togetherness with family members. Families will come together to appreciate the beauty of the full moon, enjoy round mooncakes and drink tea, and light paper lanterns.
But here is another fun fact, few other Asian cultures celebrate Mid-Autumn festivals too, and one prominent one is the Japanese celebration known as Tsukimi.
Understanding Tsukimi And Its Traditions:
Tsukimi directly translates to “looking at the moon” which coincides with the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, and usually happens on the same day. This custom was initially originated from Japanese aristocrats who would gather on this occasion to appreciate the moon, recite poetry and enjoy Tsukimi Dango (a traditional Japanese rice dumpling). The common decoration for this celebration includes Japanese pampas grass (susuki).
Now that we have a deeper understanding of this celebration in both the Chinese and Japanese traditions, here are some unique gift ideas you can explore to mark this special and meaningful occasion.
Unique Gift Ideas For Mid-Autumn Festival:
1. Mooncakes
This is a no-brainer, but mooncakes are the staple must-have gift to represent this celebration. From the basic traditional Lotus Egg Yolk mooncakes to modern and trendy flavours like snow skin mooncakes with chocolate or fruit filling, you will be spoilt for choice.
You can check out our Mid-Autumn 2022 Tsukumi Collection gifts which all include traditional mooncakes.
2. Chinese or Japanese Tea
Mooncakes are best paired with tea, simply because tea washes down the sweetness of the mooncakes perfectly. It is also a great beverage to share during family gatherings, as the tradition of sipping on hot Chinese or Japanese tea while having conversations is still very much something we practice in this day and age.
All our mid-autumn festival gifts come with an option that includes Glutinous Rice Pu Er Tea which is a traditional remedy for overall good health.
3. Utensils
To complement the mooncake and tea perfectly, a good gift idea is including utensils they can use during this celebration. Teacups, saucers, coasters or even fork and knife are great gift options if you know they might be sharing the mooncakes and tea with their loved ones or even in the office with their fellow colleagues (if you are looking to get a corporate gift for your client).
Check out our mid-autumn gift collection to explore your options of including beautiful and practical utensils in your gift:
- Fortune Set - includes coaster & saucer plate option
- Vitality Set - includes options with coasters, saucer plates, or wooden fork and knife
- Longevity Set - all options include utensils ranging from teapot sets to sake sets.
4. Nostalgic Candy
A nice addition to your mid-autumn festival gift is including some nostalgic candy. These could be candies that we used to enjoy as a kid, such as white rabbit candy, traditional coconut candy, peanut candy etc. This is a good option if you know they have kids who might not necessarily enjoy the mooncakes just yet.
All our candy options come with a beautiful drawstring pouch that can be reused to store candy or other knick knacks in the future. You can check out the options here: Fortune Gift Set, Vitality Gift Set, Longevity Gift Set.
5. Optional: Sake
If you are looking for a Japanese-inspired mid-autumn festival gift set, you can include sake to elevate your gift. Traditionally shared among Japanese as they sit outdoors to enjoy the beautiful moonlight on Tsukimi, your gift recipient can enjoy sipping on sake with their loved ones during this celebration.
Our Longevity Gift Set comes with an alcoholic option that includes a bottle of Tokubetsu Junmai-shu Sake, a ceramic sake bottle, 4 cups and a complimentary tray.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration that highlights family and togetherness. Take this occasion as a good excuse to send a gift to a loved one, or even to your clients and stakeholders.
From now until 31st July, you can pre-order our Mid-Autumn Festival gift sets for an early bird price, or contact us if you are looking to order in bulk for your corporate clients. You can reach out to us at corporate@wishful.my or WhatsApp us at +6012 733 1246 with your enquiries and we will get back to you.
