budgie Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Source: Singapore Tourism Board website Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for celebrating the harvest of the year and as with most Chinese holidays, it is a festival rich in oral history and legends. As the full moon is round in shape and the word ‘circle’ (“yuanâ€)’ is synonymous to the word ‘unity’ in Chinese, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions. There are many legendary stories about the Mid-Autumn Festival and they mainly revolve around 3 characters living on the moon – the lady Chang Er, the woodcutter Wu Gang and the Jade Rabbit. Legend of Wu Kang In Chinese mythology, Wu Kang was portrayed as a woodcutter fascinated with the magic of immortality. He went to live in the mountains where he importuned an immortal to teach him. However, as a shiftless person, he was not able to hold on to any apprenticeship for a long period of time. After requesting the immortal to teach him something new every few days, the master was angered by Wu Kang’s impatience and banished him to the Moon Palace, where he has to 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 continues to eternally chop the cassia on the moon. Legend of Jade Rabbit According to legend, three sages transformed themselves into pitiful old men and begged for something to eat from a fox, a monkey, and a rabbit. Both the fox and the monkey were able to give the old men some food, but the rabbit, empty-handed, offered his own flesh instead and jumped into a blazing fire to cook himself. The fairies were so touched by the rabbit’s sacrifice that they let him live in the moon, where he became the “Jade Rabbitâ€. Legend of eating mooncake As with every Chinese festival, it is accompanied by some special food. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, a must-have is the mooncake, which symbolizes the “circle of happinessâ€. They are a kind of cookie with fillings of lotus, melon seed and red bean. The consumption of mooncake has a legend behind it as well. Mooncake played a historical role in the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to popular beliefs, the custom of eating mooncakes began in the late Yuan dynasty. Under the Mongolian rule, Chinese people were oppressed, persecuted and treated like slaves. To revolt against the Mongol rulers, the Chinese planned to overthrow them by sending secret messages in mooncakes, as Mongolians do not eat mooncakes. These specially made mooncakes were then distributed to all the Chinese, who found a note inside with the message “Revolt on the fifteenth of the eighth monthâ€. Thus informed, the people rose together on the designated day to overthrow the Mongolians, and since then, mooncakes have became an integral part of the Mid-Autumn Festival. *Hope this post is sorta distraction and meaningful to some......SMILE.* Pictures attached! Pictures took out of this post due to being massive and messing up the topic! naughty naughty now!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgie Posted September 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Thanks Josh...the pics were pretty but DARN massive! SORRY! LOL! Its SO bloody embaressing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 ahhhhhhhhh never mind, better than being caught with ur pants down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgie Posted September 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Yeah sure! not sure if the pics gonna turn out ok ...doh .. only the bravehearted need proceed further.......heheheh. for the pics i mean! budgie you have done it again and driving me mad as usual, can you start posting in the test forum to try this plss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgie Posted September 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 *nah.....no more pics.....trudged off to a corner........ :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 great stories! thanks budgie... when are you sending those moonpies? bets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgie Posted September 25, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 lol bets! its mooncakes, never moonpies!!!!!! thats a first i heard!!!!! the mooncakes wont make it pass security i am sure!!!!! for one, the durian one will stink to the heavens! for 2nd, the sniffer dogs at Customs prolly eat it b4 it get to u folks! :wub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Betsy Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 lol.... oops sorry... we have moon pies here! they are 3 round graham crackers with marshmellow filling and then dripped all over with athin kinda waxy frosting. bets Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verbena Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 Budgie, It was good to hear from you and I liked the story. (Between you and me, when was Joshua caught with his pants down?) Verbena Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summer Posted September 25, 2004 Report Share Posted September 25, 2004 budgie......that sounds like a great festival holiday.....I will be waiting patiently for my red bean mooncake.....yummy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
budgie Posted September 26, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 26, 2004 looks like i could hope to mobilise a strike or mutiny of some sorts....LOL! hehhe Thanks folks....u make me feel much better after my foul up /pants down watever! the pics would hv told a thousand words but pity they r massive...! its great that my effort to distract, contribute...didnt go to waste. i feel appreciated. Thanks again. much love, budge. no problem kk. thanks a lot. B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Posted September 26, 2004 Report Share Posted September 26, 2004 can always post the links to the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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