Posted: 2006-03-28 15:08:00
Dear Hugh, Terje, and Eire,
Since you have expressed an interest in learning more of this chinese festival, I share my knowledge on this festival that is celebrated in Singapore and all chinese-speaking countries and of course...all the Chinatowns in the world.
The Mid-Autumn Festival or the Mooncake Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month (ie of the Chinese Calendar). This festival originated in the Tang dynasty ie 618AD. There are many legends surrounding this festival and let me tell you.
Legend No. 1
A famous architect built a beautiful jade palace for the Goddes of Heaven. She was so happy that she gave him an immortality pill. There was a condition attached to it, ie... he needed to accomplish a few things first before he got take it. However, his wife, a beautiful lady, found the pill and swallowed it, and of course she did not tell her husband. When the Goddess found out about it, she was so angry that she banished the wife to the moon and she can only be seen by her husband on the night of the bright harvest moon. So on every 15th day of the 8th lunar month, a moon bridge appears and connects earth to the moon. during this one night the couple is reunited.
Legend No. 2
During the Yuan dynasty (ie 1280AD) China was ruled by the Mongolians. In order to overthrow the chinese and knowing that the Mid Autumnn Festival was near, the leaders of the rebellion ordered the making of special cakes. Baked into each moon cake was a message informing about the intended attack. On the night of the Moon cake Festival, the rebels, indeed won as they took the mongolians by surprise.
There is another longer version of Legend No. 1. If you wish to hear that, I will be happy to post it here.
Btw... if you wish to celebrate this festival, you should do it with the traditional lanterns that are lit with candles and of course, a box of moon cakes. The moon cakes are actually pastry stuffed with various types of sweet or savoury fillings, sometimes containing the egg yolk.
I have uploaded two recent pics showing the lanterns and how a mooncake looks like.
If you like, I will be happy to share other festivals (ie Indian, Malay, Eurasian) celebrated in Singapore.
Thanks for reading!
Gloria
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