Posts Tagged → Autumn moon cakes
Early Mid Autumn Festival in Bakerville
In Barkerville Historic Town, a rich Chinese heritage and a vast collection of Chinese architecture, artefacts, archival material and photographs are the most existed culture. On Saturday, August 21, Barkerville will celebrate Mid Autumn Festival a little early – early enough in the season that is to share this special day with the town’s summertime guests.
There will be a variety of activities and entertainments to observe Mid-Autumn Festival, and to commemorate Barkerville’s Chinese-Canadian pioneers. The day will be filled with lion dances, lantern-making, a tea ceremony, games for all ages, Chinese Autumn moon cakes tasting, and more. A special celebration banquet, featuring sittings at both 5 pm and 7:30 pm, will be hosted by the Lung Duck Tong restaurant. At dusk visitors can venture out under the stars for a parade of illuminated paper lanterns, enjoy a show presented by dedicated Wells-Barkerville volunteers and, weather permitting, finish the evening with a beautiful firework display.
According to ancient Chinese astrology, the moon is at its roundest in the middle of the autumn season. Since the round shape of full moon symbolizes family reunion and togetherness in Chinese culture, one of the pre-eminent festivals in the Chinese calendar is celebrated on this day. It is the Mid-Autumn Festival, the second most important occasion in China after the Lunar New Year.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Festival Mooncake. During the festival, family members gather to eat moon cakes and appreciate the bright full moon – an auspicious token of abundance, harmony and luck. People who are away from home will express strong yearnings toward their native soil and sadly miss those family members who live far away. This was especially true for the lonesome Chinese pioneers working and living in Canada during the Cariboo gold rush. They left their families on the other side of world and worked industriously in the goldfields in pursuit of a better life for their loved ones. A line from traditional Chinese verse, “the moon at the home village is exceptionally brighter,” expresses the nostalgic feeling of these Chinese sojourners. Their hard work and sacrifice have been recognized as an irreplaceable contribution in forming the Canada we know today.
Source : http://www.welcometoquesnel.ca/index.php/events/local-events/188-barkerville-to-celebrate-autumn-a-little-early-with-mid-autumn-festival-.html
Legends in Mid Autumn
Chang’e and Hou Yi
Autumn moon cakes festival story long time ago, there were 10 suns in the sky. They burnt all the plants on the earth. People were dying.
One day, a hero whose name was Hou Yi used his bow and arrows to shoot down nine of them. All the people on the earth were saved.
One day, the queen of heaven gave Hou Yi a bottle elixir that could make Hou Yi become an immortal, but the elixir was only efficacious for one person. Hou Yi did want to become an immortal, but he wanted to stay with his beautiful wife Chang’e more, so he didn’t drink the elixir and asked his wife Chang’e to keep it for him.
Hou Yi was becoming more and more famous after he shot down the nine suns and more and more men wanted Hou Yi to be their master. Most of them were accepted by Hou Yi.
Not every student of Hou Yi had good morality. Feng Meng, one of his students, wanted to seize his elixir. One day, Hou Yi went hunting with his students, but Feng Meng pretended to be ill and stay at home. When making sure Hou Yi had gone he went to Hou Yi’s house and tried to force Chang’e to give him the elixir. Chang’e knew she couldn’t defeat Feng Meng so she drank the elixir immediately. The elixir made her become an immortal and fly higher and higher. Finally, she stopped on the moon.
From then on, people often pray to Chang’e for fortune and safety. During the Mid Autumn Festival they offer lots of foods to Chang’e.
Wu Gang and the Cherry Bay
Story of Festival Mooncake in China, Wu Gang was a woodchopper. He always wanted to become an immortal, but he never tried his best to learn the necessary theurgy. The Jade Emperor got angry with him because of his attitude. In order to punish him, the Jade Emperor planted a huge cherry bay, which was 1665 meters (5460 ft) high, on the moon and ordered Wu Gang to chop it down, then Wu Gang could become an immortal.
This time, Wu Gang was very serious, but he could never finish his work. The cherry bay healed every time that Wu Gang chopped it. Wu Gang wouldn’t give up. He tried time and time again.
On unclouded nights people can see some obvious shadows on the moon. They are made by the huge cherry bay.
The Jade Rabbit
One day, three immortals who were living in heaven came to the earth. They asked a fox, a monkey and a rabbit to find some food for them respectively. The fox and the monkey both found something for the three immortals while the rabbit got nothing. The rabbit felt very sorry for the three immortals. Finally, he jumped into the fire and said to the three immortals, “Eat me, please!” The three immortal were deeply moved by the rabbit. They decided to give the rabbit the title of “Jade Rabbit” and let him accompany Chang’e in the Moon Palace.
Source : http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/festivals/mid-autumn-festival-story.htm
Mid Autumn Celebrations
On the Mid Autumn (also known as Festival Mooncake) day, Chinese families gather to admire the moon believed to be the most beautiful and the roundest on this night. It symbolizes the union of the family and Chinese families celebrate this event by eating moon cakes, 月饼, and admiring the moon. Other food items associated with Mid Autumn are pomelo and Chinese Tea. After dinner, Children carry lanterns and strolling in parks or gardens.
Pre festival events and preparation
For about one and a half months before the Mid Autumn festival, moon cakes are presented as gifts. Within a family, moon cakes are presented from children to parent, son in law to parents in law and between siblings.
Outside of family unit, Autumn moon cakes are exchanged between friends, business associate, and colleagues. In the corporate sector, companies give moon cakes to their customers. Some companies even commission moon cakes with their corporate logo or designs.
The presentation of moon cakes is an opportunity for networking and relationship building and expresses social solidarity between the giving and receiving parties.
Just before the Mid Autumn festival, adults will buy a lantern for young children at home. These lanterns are carried around after the Mid Autumn dinner. Lanterns come in all shapes and sizes from traditional forms to the latest cartoon characters or pop icons. Buying a lantern for Mid Autumn festival is always a big treat for children.
In most places where is there are substantial Chinese population, the local grassroots or cultural institution will organize Mid Autumn events for the public. In Singapore, one of the major celebrations is held in the Singapore Chinatown. Large size lanterns are often used to decorate the area and add to the festive atmosphere.
In some countries and regions such as People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, Mid Autumn or the day after Mid Autumn Festival is a public holiday.
Source : http://www.chinatownology.com/mid_autumn_celebrations.html
