"The Mid-Autumn Festival; also known as the Mooncake Festival, falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month of the Lunar calendar, a date that parallels the Autumn Equinox of the solar calendar. At this time, the moon is at its fullest and brightest, marking an ideal time to celebrate the abundance of the summer's harvest. The traditional food of this festival is the moon cake, of which there are many different varieties.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Lunar calendar, and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date.
Traditionally, on this day, Asian family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes together. Brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children." -Wikipedia
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the two most important holidays in the Lunar calendar, and is a legal holiday in several countries. Farmers celebrate the end of the summer harvesting season on this date.
Traditionally, on this day, Asian family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes and pomeloes together. Brightly lit lanterns are often carried around by children." -Wikipedia
Mummy's Thoughts:
"Gazing at the moon, it just doesn't seemed as bright as the mid-autumn festivals of yesteryears.... It looked blurred and murky.... Sigh... Must be the haze!!
*looking at a small group of children having fun with lanterns, light sticks & sparkles* Isn't it so nice that such traditions are still passed down?!? It's heartwarming to see families bringing their children out with lanterns and big wide smiles across their kiddo's face....
I clearly remembered when I was very much younger.... The BEST mid-autumn festivals were celebrated with my cousins; Yen Jie Jie, Ah Pei, and Ah Lu.... We will climb onto the tall tower in the playground to get the best view of the celebrations organised by the RC. Without fail, every year, there will be this terrible competition on who can eat the most mooncake in a limited amount of time.... You'll see super UNGLAM people stuffing mooncakes into their mouth!! I always thought, " GOD, they better not choke on mooncake and die from it!!" Can you imagine explaining to St. Peters at the Pearly Gates of Heaven that you choked on mooncake and ended up there?!? I am sure, he'll tell him that he's lying and send him back to HELL!! Rahahahahaha.... With all our candles, we stick them one by one patiently onto the tower's rails.... and lighted them up. They all look so beautiful, just like ballerinas dancing under the clear moonlight.... We carried flimsy paper lanterns, we laughed and giggled the night away without worries....
We got Hiroshi this handmade lantern from Ipoh. It's amazing how Hiroshi plays with it.... He treats it as if he was walking a dog (well, maybe in this case walking a chicken) banging the lantern on the floor or flinging it all around him. It's a joy watching him do that... He's learning and exploring how to play with this "toy" in his own way..... Well, I guess this trend of handmade lanterns will be dying out soon if we continue to buy battery operated lanterns with some wired funky tunes which doesn't even co-ordinates with the theme.... I support going traditional. What about you?
2 comments:
Traditional for me too! I love those we used to make out of milo tin cans!!!
mama bear: that one is super traditional leh....
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