The October Holidays

Our first week in Wuhan has coincided with the October holidays in China.  The holidays are officially considered to be the National Holiday, and this year they also happened to coincide with the Mid-Autumn festival.  The upshot being that right after our arrival all official functions have been shut down for the past week.  But it has given us an excellent opportunity to explore our new city as a family, instead of just me, or me and Babes trying to figure things out on our own.  Normally we arrive in country and the Mister is whisked off to work at 8 am the following morning. 
I digress,  the Mid Autumn festival is actually a pretty fun one, businesses give out mooncakes to all of their contacts, and I think families and friends give them out too.

 (I wonder if they will eventually go the way of the fruit cake and those Hickory farms gift boxes that we used to get around Christmastime when I was a kid? )  Mooncakes can be savory or sweet, elaborate, or simple.  I have seen them filled with fruit, eggs, some sort of fish paste, nuts, chocolate, meat, etc...

The ones we got from Starbucks last year were the best ones that I've ever had, but probably the least traditional.  I also find that the boxes that mooncakes come in are pretty useful.  They usually involve drawers, and lids, and make excellent storage for doll clothes and other tiny doll accessories.

Aside from eating mooncakes, you are also supposed to view the moon, light lanterns, and eat pomelos.  It is also a traditional time for matchmaking, and we have seen tons of wedding processions to mark the occasion.