Imagine crazy parents forcing disgusting cake down their children’s throats to celebrate the moon festival, even though people no longer eat this dense cake in China.  Moon festival is celebrated in America by Chinese immigrants and Chinese-Americans who find it necessary to tap into their nationality’s culture. The festival celebrates the tragic story of two unrequited lovers, not unlike ever other fairy tale. This couple only meets in mid- autumn under the blazing full moon. You would think that with so many plot lines in the world, this Chinese folktale could be more original than the REAL version of the Little Mermaid (without the totally horrific ending of the mermaid actually dying).

Chinese instructor Ling Zhang came to Los Angeles  from Beijing and teaches her students about the festival, offering the dense cake that few students actually like to eat, unlike me. Zhang said she remembers the time when she was very little and had to stand in line to get the “yummy” moon cakes. She reminisced in an interview about her time in China and said she thought moon festival is kind of like Thanksgiving because the whole family meets together, and if one person is missing then it is not a complete festival. Growing up as a child of Chinese parents, I was forced to eat this nasty cake year after year to “keep the family together,” as my relatives would say. I do not really understand how eating a cake will keep the family together or how eating noodles at New Years will give you long life, but then again there are so many superstitions in every culture that I long ago gave up trying to find sense in any of them.

If you try moon cake, please be wary of the thick gross texture that is soon to enter your throat. Although I hate the taste, maybe you will be that one person who likes it.