-- Three traditional Chinese festivals are mentioned in the passage: The Drgon Boat Festival, the Mid-autumn Festival and the Spring Festival.
-- The festival is celebrated in memory of Qu Yuan, one of China’s greatest poets and loyal minister who drowned himself in the Miluo River while in exile from a corrupt court of the Warring States Period. People respected Qu Yuan for his efforts to make China strong and prosperous and for his dedication to such ideals.
-- The Mid-autumn Festival which occurs on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (around mid-September) is an occasion for viewing the full moon because on that night the moon is supposed to be brighter and fuller than any other night. In China, the round moon is a symbol for completeness, and by extension, family reunion, which is why that day is also known as the “Day of Reunion”.
-- Customarily, lavishly consuming food and drink is a major activity. In addition to the popular seafood, poultry and meat, regional custom dictates the preparation and consumption of traditional favorites, for example, jiaozi (boiled dumplings) in Beijing, babaofan (a steamed sweet glutinous rice pudding) in Shanghai, and the soup of small rice-balls (cooked with pork and chicken) in Guangzhou. Throughout China, niangao (literally meaning the “year cake”, a thick steamed pudding of glutinous rice flour) is made in a great variety of shapes and flavors.
-- The character gao in the word niangao is homonymous with the word “tall”, suggesting “growing up and prospering” in the new year.