Sunday, September 14, 2008

Today is Mid-Autumn Festival

Tonight the moon will be the fullest ever, because it's Mid-Autumn Festival or you can call the Moon Festival. It's one of the three biggest troditional festivals in China. We have three-day holiday on this day. This is the time when families get together watching the moon. We have a rich dinner tonight. What make it different are the mooncakes and pomegrantates. 

There is a long story of the origin of the Moon Festival. I'll write it for short. Long long time ago, there were 10 suns in the sky, 9 of which were shot down by a man called Hou Yi. Hou Yi married a beautiful woman Chang Er. One day Hou Yi got a elixir from the queen mother of the west. Because it was only one, he couldn't take it for he don't want to leave her wife alone. So he let Chang Er keep it. But one of Houyi's prentices found where the elixir was hiden. When HouYi was out hunting, he forced Chang Er to take out the elixir, she tooke it instead of handing it out. So Chang Er flied away to the sky. She settled at the moon which is the nearest place to HouYi.



These are moon cakes we eat tonight.



This is my favorite poem about the Moon Festival. It's written by Su Shi(Song dynasty).
I 'll show you the English version.

"Thinking of You"

When will the moon be clear and bright?
With a cup of wine in my hand, I ask the blue sky.
I don't know what season it would be in the heavens on this night.
I'd like to ride the wind to fly home.
Yet I fear the crystal and jade mansions are much too high and cold for me.
Dancing with my moon-lit shadow
It does not seem like the human world
The moon rounds the red mansion Stoops to silk-pad doors
Shines upon the sleepless Bearing no grudge
Why does the moon tend to be full when people are apart?
People may have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart
The moon may be dim or bright, wax or wane
This has been going on since the beginning of time
May we all be blessed with longevity Though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.

5 comments:

Linda S. Socha said...

Rabbit
Now I understand! I read a blog about a group of students who were having a celebration making moon cakes. I could not understand but it was a big event! Your moon cakes are beautiful! I wish you and your family a lovely evening and your mother a time of rest and joy with her family. what a lovely Festival story. Thank you rabbit.
Linda

FlyingRabbit said...

Oh, I didn't spent the night with my families but my roommates. My hometown is far away from school. But I still ate the delicious moon cake. And it's not bad I'll be back home during the National Day.

viagra online said...

hi I always participate in this festival is the best all-time Mid-Autumn Festival, or call the Moon Festival this year appear

Anonymous said...

Всем привет, Огромное спасибо за объяснение, теперь я не допущу такой ошибки.

Anonymous said...

Класс, Автор, пиши чаще - тебя читают!