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Mad for the moon on Mid-Autumn Festival
By Huang Shunfu and Pan Zheng |
September 26, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE 15th day of the eighth lunar month marks the date of the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, which is a festival for family reunions and watching the beautiful full moon. It is one of the three most important holidays of the year along with the Spring Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival.
Families get together for dinner, which should include mooncake, watermelon and green soybean with taro.
In the old days mooncakes were often just cakes stuffed with sugar. But with living standards improving, mooncakes are now more elaborate with fillings such as eggs and meat.
In ancient times, legends said most boys would stay up all night waiting for a colorful dragon boat named Yuehua, coming from the moon sometime that night. When people saw the boat, they would throw small things into the house and all these things would turn to gold.
In Jiading District, there is an old myth that a miserly man waited for Yuehua on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. When Yuehua showed up, he threw all his bowls, cups and chopsticks into the house and they turned to gold. However, he was so greedy that he threw his wife and son into the house to get more gold. He was still not satisfied and poked his head into the house, which turned to gold and sent him to the god.
In local temples, monks will make sky lanterns, light candles inside and let them fly in the sky. Most of the lanterns are pure white with flowers and a goddess painted on it. As they fly in the sky, they look like stars or like a goddess flying to the moon. This always makes children laugh.
Families get together for dinner, which should include mooncake, watermelon and green soybean with taro.
In the old days mooncakes were often just cakes stuffed with sugar. But with living standards improving, mooncakes are now more elaborate with fillings such as eggs and meat.
In ancient times, legends said most boys would stay up all night waiting for a colorful dragon boat named Yuehua, coming from the moon sometime that night. When people saw the boat, they would throw small things into the house and all these things would turn to gold.
In Jiading District, there is an old myth that a miserly man waited for Yuehua on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. When Yuehua showed up, he threw all his bowls, cups and chopsticks into the house and they turned to gold. However, he was so greedy that he threw his wife and son into the house to get more gold. He was still not satisfied and poked his head into the house, which turned to gold and sent him to the god.
In local temples, monks will make sky lanterns, light candles inside and let them fly in the sky. Most of the lanterns are pure white with flowers and a goddess painted on it. As they fly in the sky, they look like stars or like a goddess flying to the moon. This always makes children laugh.
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