more time off

[izus]

nothing about the birthday week that China gets,

once again another holiday

 

maybe our country can learn from this

 

so how does this work into the end of this holiday.... with the mooncakes?

where does the mooncakes come out of Mid Autumn Festival?

 

 

David i think you had some cool story about this last year

[pkfops]

nothing about the birthday week that China gets,

once again another holiday

 

maybe our country can learn from this

 

so how does this work into the end of this holiday.... with the mooncakes?

where does the mooncakes come out of Mid Autumn Festival?

 

 

David i think you had some cool story about this last year

 

Here's something brief on the subject:

 

http://www.moonfestival.org/overview.htm

Edited October 5, 2006 by pkfops (see edit history)

[Rakkasan]

nothing about the birthday week that China gets,

once again another holiday

 

maybe our country can learn from this

 

so how does this work into the end of this holiday.... with the mooncakes?

where does the mooncakes come out of Mid Autumn Festival?

 

 

David i think you had some cool story about this last year

 

If our country learns from this there would surely be pros and cons. Shutting down the government for a week for every holiday would surely make it more difficult and time consuming to get our applications processed, however the more the government is shut down the less they can screw up.

 

Below is some info on the Moon Festival.

 

 

What is the date of Chinese Moon Festival?

 

 

The date of Chinese Moon Festival (a.k.a. Mid-autumn Festival) is on the 15th moon day of 8th Chinese lunar month. This year Moon Festival is 2006-10-6.

 

Many Chinese believe the Chinese Moon Festival is on the full moon day of mid-autumn. More than 50% chance, the moon full day is on the 16th moon day of a lunar month.

 

 

 

What do people do during Moon Festival?

 

The Moon Festival is a holiday in China. It's an occasion for family reunion. Traditionally, Chinese families get together to eat the moon cakes and watch the moon at the Moon Festival night. For the people are out of town or stay outside China, they miss their family or the lover at the moon night of the Festival.

 

 

 

What are legendary stories for the Moon Festival?

 

1) The Lady - Chang Er

 

The date of this story is around 2170 B.C. The earth once had ten suns circling over it, each took its turn to illuminate to the earth. But one day all ten suns appeared together, scorching the earth with their heat. The earth was saved by a strong and tyrannical archer Hou Yi. He succeeded in shooting down nine of the suns. One day, Hou Yi stole the elixir of life from a goddess. However his beautiful wife Chang Er drank the elixir of life in order to save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule. After drinking it, she found herself floating and flew to the moon. Hou Yi loved his divinely beautiful wife so much, he didn't shoot down the moon.

 

2) The Man - Wu Kang

 

Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time. One day he decided that he wanted to be an immortal. Wu Kang then went to live in the mountains where he importuned an immortal to teach him. First the immortal taught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but after three days his characteristic restlessness returned and he asked the immortal to teach him something else. So the immortal to teach him chess, but after a short while Wu Kang's enthusiasm again waned. Then Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days, and asked if they could travel to some new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience, the master banished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Though Wu Kang chopped day and night, the magical tree restored itself with each blow, and thus he is up there chopping still.

 

3) The Hare - Jade Rabbit

 

In this legend, three fairy sages transformed themselves into pitiful old men and begged for something to eat from a fox, a monkey and a rabbit. The fox and the monkey both had food to give to the old men, but the rabbit, empty-handed, offered his own flesh instead, jumping into a blazing fire to cook himself. The sages were so touched by the rabbit's sacrifice that they let him live in the Moon Palace where he became the "Jade Rabbit."

 

4) The Cake - Moon Cake

 

During the Yuan dynasty (A.D.1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D.960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend.

Edited October 5, 2006 by Rakkasan (see edit history)

[Dennis143]

Nice synopsis, Patrick. I have been asked to explain the meaning and significance of the Mid-Autumn/Moon Festival to the Americans who show up for our celebration tomorrow night. I will use bits of what you post here. I don¡¯t want to go overboard with details, but I do want them to try to find the woman in the moon with her rabbit companion, on the next full moon.

[whutthapho]

If you and your honey are together tomorrow evening and she's off gazing at the moon, instead of sharing a romantic glass of red wine or mooncake with you...she's missing someone else.

[david_dawei]

my current avatar is a tribute to Chang Er flying to the moon..

 

here's the link I had given last year...

http://www.regit.com/hongkong/festival/mooncake.htm

[izus]

but I do want them to try to find the woman in the moon with her rabbit companion, on the next full moon.

 

 

tomorrow night is a full moon

 

 

is that why its called Moon Festival?