Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
About a month ago, we started seeing little round pastries for sale in stores, and gradually there were more and more until it seemed they were taking over (a bit reminiscent of Easter baskets or Valentine stuff—in every store everywhere until the holiday is over)! We soon found out that they were for the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the second most important holiday here (the first being the Lunar New Year in February).
Each year, the festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. The holiday originated over 3000 years ago when worship and appreciation of the full moon became prevalent. For Asians, the roundness of the full harvest moon represents abundance and togetherness, so the practice of making the round “mooncakes” as gifts for relatives began a thousand years ago as an expression of best wishes for family reunion. There are many varieties of these little round pastries—orange, sugar, sesame, even rose petal. We decided to try the ham, date, and nut ones, and our favorite was the traditional ham.
Though the night of the festival was dreary and we couldn’t see even a glimpse of the moon for all of the clouds and drizzle, we did hear fireworks and knew that people were enjoying their holiday together. I’m sure we weren’t the only ones, though, who were not with family and couldn’t help but miss our loved ones who are so far away. This excerpt from a traditional poem written during Mid-Autumn Festival in 1067 (David’s teacher shared it with his class) reflects the desire for connection and togetherness that we all feel at one time or another:
Each year, the festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month when the moon is at its fullest and brightest. The holiday originated over 3000 years ago when worship and appreciation of the full moon became prevalent. For Asians, the roundness of the full harvest moon represents abundance and togetherness, so the practice of making the round “mooncakes” as gifts for relatives began a thousand years ago as an expression of best wishes for family reunion. There are many varieties of these little round pastries—orange, sugar, sesame, even rose petal. We decided to try the ham, date, and nut ones, and our favorite was the traditional ham.
Though the night of the festival was dreary and we couldn’t see even a glimpse of the moon for all of the clouds and drizzle, we did hear fireworks and knew that people were enjoying their holiday together. I’m sure we weren’t the only ones, though, who were not with family and couldn’t help but miss our loved ones who are so far away. This excerpt from a traditional poem written during Mid-Autumn Festival in 1067 (David’s teacher shared it with his class) reflects the desire for connection and togetherness that we all feel at one time or another:
…why does the moon always wax full when people suffer from separations?
No human is free of sorrows or joys, partings or reunions,
Nor is the moon of shade and light or wax and wane.
Nothing’s perfect since ancient times; but I would rather humankind live long,
And however far apart they are, share the beauty of Goddess Moon.
Yes, we can certainly resonate with the author’s longing to be with loved ones…
No human is free of sorrows or joys, partings or reunions,
Nor is the moon of shade and light or wax and wane.
Nothing’s perfect since ancient times; but I would rather humankind live long,
And however far apart they are, share the beauty of Goddess Moon.
Yes, we can certainly resonate with the author’s longing to be with loved ones…
posted by David Thomas Bondy @ 11:59 PM
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