It's that time of the year again.
The Lantern Festival (or Mid-Autumn Festival) falls on 18th Sept this year.
According to the Lunar calendar, the festival is on the 15th day of the eighth month.
The Chinese believe that the moon would be at its fullest on this night.
(*wonder how the ancient chinese actually notice the variance in size..hmm...)
Chanced upon this interesting site from Taiwan.
It tells about the origins and legends of this festival and also some other traditional festivals.
It's quite an interesting site to explore, you may find out things that you never knew!
Here are 2 links to read about...
| Enjoying the Wind and Moon Together -- Mid-Autumn Festival |
Lantern Festival
The best part of this festival must be the mooncakes and playing with candles and lanterns.
Though I'm quite grown up and seldom indulge in candles and lanterns fun,
but I still find them interesting and pretty to look at.
Lighting up around your house compound really brings out the festivity mood.
And you'll notice children walking around your neighbourhood with lanterns at night,
days before the festival!
The best place to immerse in the festivity mood would be paying a visit to the Chinese villages (xin chun).
The Chinese community there would be busy praying to the moon goddess,
the adults eating mooncakes while sipping tea,
and the children would be having fun playing with lanterns and candles.
So much fun thinking back my memories of childhood.
These days, mooncakes are getting more varied in tastes and looks.
And not surprisingly, the prices are shooting up!
I just can't agree with those high prices, a mooncake nowadays would cost around RM10!
What used to be a delicacy for celebrating, has now become a pricey once-a-year indulgent and splurge.
Lucky for me, dad has some mooncakes gifts from business partners and friends.. =P
(*Hmm...mentioning of mooncakes makes me hungry for some...)
Let the fun begins!...muahahaha...!! :))
2 comments:
The origin of Zhong Qiu (locally mistakenly called Moon Cake Festival) was abt 2000 years ago.
Emperor during that day, used to "Ji Yue" pray to the moon as part of the royal practices. Later this practices was passed around to normal citizen as time goes by and they starting to practice it.
In Chinese Lunar calender, we have four seasons in a year. Each season consists of four "Jie Ling". Thus each lunar year consists of 24 "Jie Ling".
"Zhong Qiu" is one of the "Jie Ling" (Solar Terms) where during this time around, weather starting to cool down as the time approaching winter. People in the ancient china loves this kinda time around so much.
Famous poet of the ancient china like "Li Bai", "Du Fu", "Bai Jv Yi" using moon or things to do wif moon alot in thier poem.
People from ancient china using full moon as a symbol of reunion of family and love ones. Thus, this is one of the main reason Chinese loves this festival so much.
In Malaysia, our chinese practices are more or less different from people in china. Family members will gathered around to hav dinner, chit-chat and enjoy mooncakes, pamelos, gua chees, drinking tea.
Talking abt lanterns and candles. Those lanterns we can get nowadays is much "high-tech" then those I had during my time. Children nowadays don't make thier lanterns anymore. They change thier so call precious lantern every year, where I used to keep them and reuse it the next year.
"Zhong Qiu" does bring back alot childhood memories to most of us. For outstation people work or study away from hometown (whether overseas or other state), they will travel back home to celebrate this special occasion with family.
The term "Moon Cake Festival" applied locally, was not accurate because it is a day to celebrate the season and reunion, nothing about "Moon Cake" after all.
Some good site to refer too, but it's in chinese...
About "Zhong Qiu" Origin
Why chinese love "Zhong Qiu"
5 Different Saying For Origin Of "Zhong Qiu"
wow..appreciate your interesting comments on my blog. You certainly brought some new perspectives to this old festival =)
Though I dunno who you are, I wish you and everyone out there a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
Yup...raise your lanterns, and eat your mooncakes! Don't forget to enjoy the lovely full moon too =)
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