Mooncake Festival
This festival falls on the 8th month, 15th day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar,
making it on the 22nd September for 2010 around the time of the Autumn Equinox.
In the Western calendar, this festival normally falls between the 2nd week of
September and the 2nd week of October.
The Mooncake Festival or Lantern Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival , call it what
you will - is a celebration of unity. This festival is believed to have
originated from the ancient ceremony of Sacrificing to the Moon Goddess for the
year's end harvest.
This is when families return to celebrate and give thanks for the year's bounty.
Offerings of their harvest such as apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates
, melons, oranges and pomelos were common.
Legend has it that the time and place of the revolution were concealed in the
mooncakes sent to friends and relatives. The midnight massacre of the Mongols
was led by Liu Bowen.
Today, altars are set up outside the house facing the full moon on the night of
the festival. The "harvest moon" is at its brightest and roundest this time of
the year.
Offerings of mooncakes, mini yams and water caltrops are laid out for Chang-Er,
also known as the Moon Lady. Round fruits are offered as the shape symbolises
the fullness of the moon and family harmony.
Some women peel pomelos and mini yams in the belief that they will have a
flawless complexion. Others pray to the moon goddess hoping to be blessed with
good husbands.
The classic tale of Chang-Er, the beautiful moon goddess, is associated with the
Mooncake Festival. Pictures of her in a flowy gown floating to the moon commonly
adorn mooncake boxes.
Folklore has it that she was married to the divine archer Hou Yi, who shot nine
out of 10 suns that were causing havoc. For his deed, the Queen Mother of the
West gave him the elixir of life. Chang-Er stole her husband's potion of
immortality, drank it and found herself floating to the moon. There she lives
out her days in the cold lonely moon palace with a furry rabbit for companion.
A slightly different version says that Hou Yi was a tyrannical ruler. Chang-Er
drank the magic potion to prevent him from becoming immortal.
undo Malaysian Festivals