Here at home, we revel in the splendor that Nature displays with the changing leaves on trees, and just like our ancestors, we put away the harvest of our gardens and crops to prepare for the long, cold winter ahead. Then we take out the ingredients and begin to cook and serve the thick stews, soups and casseroles that warm the insides, as the outside temperatures drop. The addition of the natural beauty and rich colors of an autumn home decor theme completes the warm family scene.
In Ancient Greece, it was the women who departed from their normal homebound or social lives, to take an active part in commemorating the anguish of Demeter, the goddess of grain, whose daughter Persephone, was kidnapped by Hades. Until her daughter was returned, nothing grew. When they were reunited, Demeter in her gratitude gave mankind the knowledge and tools to become farmers. In celebration of this, women left their homes at the end of the growing season for a three-day ritual. In retrospect, that might have been preferable to staying home and cooking or playing hostess at a family gathering!
In China, a Mid-Autumn festival that grew out of an ancient tradition of sacrificing to the moon goddess, has over time, become blended with other legends and traditions, including that of eating mooncakes during the full moon of autumn. This originated in the Yauan Dynasty when word of a revolution was passed through special cakes that were baked with a message inside. The Chinese philosophy that says “when the moon is full, mankind is one”, has made the autumn festival of the full moon, one in which whole families participate with special gatherings at night to admire the moon, eat mooncakes, and share the time with friends.
Here at home, we revel in the splendor that Nature displays with the changing leaves on trees, and just like our ancestors, we put away the harvest of our gardens and crops to prepare for the long, cold winter ahead. Then we take out the ingredients and begin to cook and serve the thick stews, soups and casseroles that warm the insides, as the outside temperatures drop.
