The haze is back. As much as we dread the return of this respiratory threat, there is little that…
This year’s Mooncake Festival falls on 13th September, Friday, and the city has been abuzz with excitement over the latest and newest mooncake flavours. A long-standing tradition, families come together to partake of these special cakes both in the traditional, brown pastry skin form, and the more modern snowskin version. Both types encase a sweet paste within, made from ingredients such as lotus, pandan, or even durian. The less health-conscious would go for the ones with single (or even double!) salted egg yolks that act as the cherry on top of the traditional mooncake. Read on to find out some easy ways you can participate in and celebrate this mid-autumn festival even while on a busy schedule.
A quintessential activity every year approaching the mooncake festival is to attend the various mooncake roadshows located in major malls and central areas like the Central Business District, where you can find mooncakes produced and sold by esteemed hotels and restaurants at huge discounts. Even if you have no intention of buying entire boxes of mooncakes, you can taste your fill at the sprawling number of mooncake booths at these roadshows – especially if you are the sort of person who can never decide on a single flavour.
When we were younger, the highlight of the lantern festival would be gathering with close friends and family to carry lanterns and play with sparklers (not to mention literally burning them to the ground). As we might not have as much time or patience as before to go on extended walks with lanterns amidst the mosquitoes in the parks or along the canals, simply purchase a few boxes of sparklers and share the flame among your friends and family for an excellent bonding session and a bit of fun.
Another activity you can do in the comfort of your own home would be trying your hand at making snowskin mooncakes. You will need to purchase some mooncake ingredients and mooncake molds before you begin, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a simple yet impressive way to have your (moon)cake and eat of it without too much effort, since snowskin mooncakes do not need to be baked. Also, your guests will be extra impressed that you can make snowskin mooncakes that shops sell for a premium.
Finally, wrap up the mid-autumn festival with a visit to Chinatown to soak in the atmosphere of lanterns and lights. Perhaps, shopkeepers might even be selling last minute mooncakes slashed to cheap prices in order to clear the stock before the festival ends!
and for females, maybe you would like to try some cheap manicure in Singapore over the weekends!
