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Like other ancient symbolic foods, there are as many legends surrounding the moon cake as there are types of moon cakes. In one tale, Chinese mooncake originated in ancient times to pay hommage to the moon. According to other sources, the moon cake was invented as a way to honor the Moon Goddess Chang-Er. In another story moon cakes, at the time a food of the Hu ethnic minority, were popularized after Tang Dynasty emperor Tang Taizong used the cakes to celebrate a sizable military victory.

In what is perhaps the most famous tale, it is said that during the end of the Mongolian ruled Yuan Era Han Chinese rebel Chu Yuan-chang spread a secret message baked in moon cakes giving the instructions “revolt on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month”. On the night of the brightest moon these revolutionary fighters successfully attacked and overthrew the Mongolian army.

Although all Chinese celebrate the Mid autumn festivals with moon cakes, the look and flavor of the cakes vary from region to region. Outside China in countries such as Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam there exist yet more variations. Within China there are five main moon cake producing regions: Beijing, Tianjin, Suzhou, Chaozhou, and Guangzhou. Beijing and Tianjin moon cakes typically have white flaky or foamy crusts and made with a vegetable filling and a liberal use of oil. Suzhou moon cakes, developed over a thousand years ago, are small cakes with strong oily and sweet flavors, and are famous for their flaky exterior. Suzhou’s savory cakes are usually filled with minced pork and served hot. Chaozhou moon cakes are round with a layered flaky crust. The Guangzhou version, which is the type Westerners are most familiar with, are round or square cakes with soft golden brown exteriors commonly filled with sweet lotus paste and a salted duck egg (or two). The cake is customarily cut into quarters, thus causing the yolk to resemble a full moon.

Since the 1980s, variations such as snow skin and jelly moon cakes have appeared alongside their traditional counterparts. Some manufacturers have sought to modernize the moon cake even further, producing such novelties as ice cream, chocolate, and cartoon character (e.g. Winnie the Pooh and Hello Kitty) shaped cakes. Some bakers stick with a traditional exterior but fill the cakes with such things as custard, tropical fruits, and green tea. A few stores now carry high-end moon cakes filled with such luxuries as shark fin, abalone, and bird’s nest. Although new types of moon cakes appear every year, one thing remains unchanged: no matter what the variation, the Moon cakes festival cannot be properly celebrated without the presence of our beloved moon cakes.

Source : http://www.moonfestival.org/

One of the most important holidays in Chinese culture is the Mid Autumn Festivals, also known as Moon Festival.

Since the Moon Festival is at harvest time, it is a good occasion to celebrate the abundance of Mother Nature. Moon Festival is a time to gather with family and friends under the full moon sky while eating Chinese mooncake, pomelo fruit, and barbecued delicacies.
Moon Festival Date
Moon Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, so the date on the Georgian calendar is different from year to year, but it is always on the full moon. The dates for Moon Festival are as follows:

* 2009 – October 3
* 2010 – September 22
* 2011 – September 12
* 2012 – September 30
* 2013 – September 19
* 2014 – September 8
* 2015 – September 27

History of Moon Festival
As with most Chinese festivals, there is a story to go along with Moon Festival. There are many versions of the Moon Festival legend, but most of them involve the archer Hou Yi and his wife Chang’e.

Many years ago, there were ten suns in the sky. Crops could not grow and rivers ran dry, so the people were dying of hunger and thirst. Hou Yi took his bow and arrows and shot down nine of the ten suns, saving the people.

As a reward, the Western Queen Mother gave Hou Yi a potion. If Hou Yi shares that potion with his wife, they will both live forever, but if only one of them takes the potion, he or she will become a god.

Hou Yi and Chang’e plan to take the potion together. But one of Hou Yi’s enemies, Feng Meng, hears about the potion and plans to steal it. One night, on a full moon, Feng Meng kills Hou Yi, then forces Chang’e to give him the potion.

Rather than give the evil man the potion, Chang’e drinks it all herself. She starts to rise into heaven, but she feels a close connection to the world of the mortals, and wants to stay close to them, so she stops at the moon, the closest body to earth.
Moon Cakes
The traditional food of Moon cakes Festival is Moon Cake, which is a pastry stuffed with filling such as egg yolk, lotus seed paste, red bean paste, coconut, walnuts, or dates. The tops of Moon cakes usually have Chinese characters representing longevity or harmony.

Source : http://mandarin.about.com/od/festivals/a/Moon_Festival.htm

Mid-Autumn Festival:
In the Chinese lunar calendar tradition, the seventh, eighth and ninth months comprise autumn. During fall, the skies are commonly clear and cloudless and the nights crisp and sharp. In these night sky conditions, the moon appears to be the brightest. The fifteenth of the eighth month is the middle of autumn, thus the festival celebrates the moon’s appearance as the brightest and most beautiful throughout the year.
The Festival This Year:
In 2008 the mid-autumn festival falls on September 14, and is observed on the 15th, just a few weeks before the beginning of the October holidays starting October first, marking National Day, the date of the founding of the PRC on October 1, 1949.
Symbolism:
The full moon is traditionally a symbol for reunion, tuanyuan, as yuan means round. The Chinese people celebrate by coming together as families to eat, drink and be merry.
Early Beginnings of the Mid-Autumn Festival:
Enjoying the moon is an ancient tradition in China going back nearly 1,400 years. Visit any historical palace or classical garden and you will very likely find a “Moon Viewing Pavilion” or two. It is lovely to think about actually, isn’t it? Taking time with your friends and family to sit outside under a starless sky, gazing at the round white orb shining brightly from the heavens above, is something we, in this century, ought to schedule in our daytimers.

Festival History:
While celebrating the moon during mid-autumn appears to have occurred since Zhou Dynasty (ending in 221BC ) times, it was during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) that the festival was made official. Becoming grander over time, by Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) times, the mid-autumn festival was second only in importance to the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year).

You can read a few of the historical legends about the origin of the festival.
Traditional Activities During the Mid-Autumn Festival:

Besides the obvious, moon-gazing, Chinese families celebrate by getting together and eating. Boiled peanuts, slices of taro, rice gruel, fish and noodles are all traditional dishes to eat during the festival, but none of these takes the place of the moon cake. Ubiquitously on sale in every supermarket and hotel, moon cakes are now a highly prized commodity. Companies use the festival as a time to thank clients with boxes of moon cakes. You may be wondering just what a moon cake is? Read on…
Moon Cakes:
Moon cakes are typically round, symbolizing the full round moon of the mid-autumn festival. They are usually made with four egg yolks, representing the four phases of the moon, and are sweet, filled with sweet bean or lotus seed paste. There are savory types as well and these days, you can even get them from Haagen Dazs. Read more about moon cakes and how to make them from Rhonda Parkinson, Guide to Chinese Cuisine.
History of the Moon Cake:
According to one legend, it was with the help of the moon cake that the Ming Dynasty established. Rebels used the festival as a method to convey their plans for revolt. They ordered the baking of special cakes to commemorate the festival. But what the Mongol leaders didn’t know was that secret messages were tucked into the cakes and distributed to allied rebels. On the night of the festival, the rebels successfully attacked, overthrowing the Mongol government and establishing a new era, the Ming Dynasty.

Source : http://gochina.about.com/od/eventsfestivals/p/MoonFestival.htm

See Also : Mid autumn festivals, Chinese mooncake, Moon cakes festival