Mid Autumn Lantern Festival
Even though summer is drawing to an end it does not mean the parties are over. In fact from the end of summer all the way up to New Years is the real party season and starting it all off is the Mid Autumn Festival. The Mid Autumn festival is Hong Kong’s tamer version of a full moon party. Originally a time to present offerings to the moon god to ensure a good harvest, the holiday is now celebrated by having a late night feast with colourful lanterns and moon cakes.
Here is what I did for my Mid Autumn Festival party table.
Decorations
For my Mid Autumn Festival food table I started off by laying out a bright Chinese floral tablecloth. I then matched the tablecloth with brightly coloured hanging lanterns of different sizes and designs. I opted for the classic lantern designs, however, these days you can get all sorts of lanterns ranging from fish and bunnies to angry birds and sponge bob. I got my lanterns from Sham Shui Po but a more convenient location is on Queens Road West just before Wilmer Street or Pottinger Street in Central.
Since there are so many great lanterns to choose from I decided to add a few popular bunny lanterns to the table to add a whimsical element. You have to admit they are pretty cute.
To create a more authentic Chinese setting I decided to use dim sum baskets to display all our delicious goodies. Dim sum baskets are really great for displaying food as they come in many different sizes and you can also stack them to create different levels. I really love the mini ones, even though they can only hold one cupcake.
Food
It is a tradition for family and friends to get together for a big meal and eat moon cakes. Moon cakes were originally made out of lotus seed with an egg yolk embedded inside, however these days you can get all sorts of moon cake flavours from sweet potato to chocolate. You can get traditional moon cakes from most Chinese cake shops such as Maxim’s Cakes and Saint Honore, but if you are looking for something a bit more indulgent you can go to Häagen-Dazs or Godiva.
I have to say I am not the biggest fan of the original moon cake flavour and therefore prefer to go for Mrs Fields double chocolate brownie moon cakes. They are seriously delicious!
No food table is complete without cupcakes and cookies. That’s why I included these lantern cupcakes and cookies. They are so cute and colourful. I got these delicious cupcakes and cookies from Baking Maniac.
Goodie Bags
A great way to ensure you don’t find yourself eating cupcakes and moon cakes days later is to get some cute Chinese take away boxes and let your guests take home any left overs. These take away boxes can double up as goodie bags and also save your waistline from further damage.
I hope these tips help you plan your lantern festival party. Have a great Mid Autumn Festival everyone!
Sweet Soirées xx