Next week -Moon Festival

[skibum]

Tradition has it that it is very important that on the first day of the Moon Festival that you sand down and re-varnish all your chop sticks. Try to get a non-toxic varnish. I usually get a big can so I can just dip the chop sticks and not have to clean a brush.

[Dennis143]

I posted this ecard in the Padded Cell, but it didn't get much viewing.

It was given to me by a friend in Xi'an. Apparently, it's making rounds on the Chinese internet. I sent it to my SO and she just loved it and has sent it on to her family and friends. I'm posting it again here. It reads of a old, sad Chinese poem and includes dancing moon cakes.

 

http://www.zysww.com/zhongqiu.htm

 

Thanks Skibum!

Edited September 10, 2005 by Dennis143 (see edit history)

[izus]

I posted this ecard in the Padded Cell, but it didn't get much viewing.

It was given to me by a friend in Xi'an.  Apparently, it's making is rounds on the Chinese internet.  I sent it to my SO and she just loved it and has sent it on to her family and friends.  I'm posting it again here.  It reads of a old, sad Chinese poem and includes dancing moon cakes.

 

http://www.zysww.com/zhongqiu.htm

 

Thanks Skibum!

152817[/snapback]

great link..!!

i forwarded it on to my honey

 

thanks

[The Jeff]

I remember my first moon Cake Day. I akin it to Turkey Day in the US. I was 21 and a Teacher at a small vocational college. My wife was just my student at the time but she and her friends all came and invited me to sit around the pavillion and eat moon cakes while looking at the moon. It sure was fun...everything except the moon cakes.

[xulei601]

Your SO's will probably take care of it, but it's a very nice gesture to send Mooncakes to family. If you happen to be in China, most major supermarkets have stands setup to post the cakes you've just bought. If you're in the states there might be a way to do it online, or maybe you can enlist help from friends in China. It's a good way to show that by leaving China she hasn't left behind or traditions (or forgot about family!)

 

Barey Jones, I think our personal histories are running on parallel tracks. Good luck with your interview!

Edited September 11, 2005 by xulei601 (see edit history)

[Dennis143]

Originally named the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival is one of the most important holidays celebrated by Chinese communities around the world.

 

Traditionally, it is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month in observance of the bountiful Autumn harvest. Although old rituals are no longer followed, families continue to gather for a day to relax and eat moon cakes. Upon this occasion, the legend of the Moon Goddess, CHANG-O, is often told to children.

 

http://www.moonfestival.org/legends/chango.htm

 

 

Once upon a time there was a famous archer, Hou Yi, who with his arrows was able to slay mankind¡¦s worst enemies, ferocious beasts that inhabited the earth. Yi was married to Chang-O, a beautiful but inquisitive woman who had been an attendant of the queen mother of the west before her marriage. Now at this time, there were 10 suns that took turns circling the earth-one every 10 days. One day, all 10 of the orbs circled, together, causing the earth¡¦s surface to burn and threatening mankind. The wise emperor of China summoned Yi and commanded him to kill but one of the suns. This Yi proceeded to do. Upon the completion of his task, Yi was rewarded with a pill, the elixir of life, and advised: "make no haste to swallow this pill, but first prepare yourself with prayer and fasting for a year." Being a wise man, Yi took the pill home and hid it under a rafter while he began healing his spirit, In the midst of this, Yi was summoned again by the emperor.

 

While her husband was gone, Chang-O noticed a beam of white light beckoning from the rafter. She followed it and a fragrant perfume, discovered the pill and swallowed it. Immediately, Chang-O found she could fly. Just at that moment her husband returned home, realize what had happened and began to reprimand his wife. Chang-O flew out the window into the sky. Yi sped after her, bow in hand, and the pursuit continued halfway across the heavens. Finally, Yi had to return to the earth because of the force of the wind.

 

His wife reached the moon and there, breathless, she coughed and part of the pill fell from her mouth. Now, the hare was already on the moon and Chang-O commanded the animal to take pestle and mortar and pound another pill so that she return to earth and her husband. The hare is still pounding.

 

As for Yi, he built himself a palace in the sun as Yang (the sun and the male principle), Chang-O as Yin (the moon and the female principle).

 

Once a year, on the 15th day of the full moon, Yi visits his wife. That is why the moon is full and beautiful on that night.

[skibum]

Does anyone really like Moon Cakes? They should substitute moon pies and an RC cola.

[HanLi]

some of them I leave for others, but I have sampled a couple of tasty ones.....

[esun41]

Lucy sent me an email about this last night. She was showing me a package of mooncakes when I saw her on yahoo and I told her I did not know what they were. She said she was bringing them to the USA for me to try.

 

She then sent the email telling me how she missed me and loved me...

 

Man... did I miss the signal on this one. (I deserve a few mop slaps)

[pkfops]

I went to pick up my visa at the Chinese consulate in SF last Thursday and it was packed.

[Yuanyang]

I'm sending flowers and two moon-cake trays via china flower. Of course tonight I find out that she really doesn't care for moon-cakes

 

But the thought will be very appreciate I know

[izus]

where can i buy mooncakes?

mama has already told me. tell Bill not to waste his money on sending her things.

 

mooncakes might be a good thing though.

does anyone have a website they trust to buy um and ship um to china??

 

i was wondering where i was going to purchase them here in orlando.

[xulei601]

where can i buy mooncakes?

mama has already told me. tell Bill not to waste his money on sending her things.

 

mooncakes might be a good thing though.

does anyone have a website they trust to buy um and ship um to china??

 

i was wondering where i was going to purchase them here in orlando.

154002[/snapback]

Well, no, but hopefully somebody can help you to access a website operating in China. The cost of shipping would be much cheaper, and the mooncakes would probably be better. (By the way, they just passed a law in Guangdong that mooncake boxes can only contain mooncakes. don't know if it affects the whole country. if not, you can send them mooncakes that come with a bag of high quality tea, or wine, or brandy....last year in Shanghai a box of mooncakes came with the deed to a new apartment and sold for over 300,000Y. I think that's why they passed the law. which probably means it affects the whole country. so disregard everything you've read within these paranthesis)

[izus]

i dont wanna tell anyone how to treat there SO's but i thought about this last night. ive been thinking about this Mooncake thing...

i told ChunYan i want her to sit down on sunday night some place quiet preferably outside....

i asked her if she knew any place like that, that would not be dangerous to go at night.?

she said yes downstairs in the courtyard of her apartment....

after we established the quiet place i said ok i want you to tell me exactly what time you have on your watch...

she told me and i told her i was sychronizing my watch with hers.

ok here is what we'll do your sunday night at exactly 9pm you meet me down at your courtyard with your favorite kind of mooncake and i'll be there in my heart and on my balcony at home at 9am and we'll share our mooncakes together at the same time....

i told her i dont want to call you to remind you...

"will you remember?"

 

she told me how sweet and romantic i was and how much she loved me...

 

Edited September 14, 2005 by izus (see edit history)

[Trigg]

Point of safety here!!! I have learned the hard way that just because the call it the moon festival does not mean you can get away with mooning your SO.

 

They REALLY don't like that very much---ouchyyyy!!!!!