Mooncake Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month every year. Chinese people worldwide celebrate it. This year, the 15th of the 8th happens to fall on 14th October. There is no autumn in Malaysia. But there are lots of mooncakes around, being the nation of hobbits that we are. So at my house, there's usually a dinner, mooncakes and lanterns. Anything involving food and lots of family is always a plus in my book. I really like it when uncles, aunts and cousins come together for a party. There weren't any cousins around last night, but twin uncles and an aunt are fun enough. And, my sister's ginormously fat Chinese-looking Labrador came to play too, which is always fun because he is so adorable.

Legend has it that there once was an immortal called Houyi. He had a beautifully stunning wife, Chang'e, who worked in the Jade Emperor's (Emperor of Heaven) Palace as the attendant to the Queen Mother of the West (wife of the Jade Emperor). One day, Houyi aroused the jealousy of the other immortals, who then slandered him before the Jade Emperor. Houyi and his wife, Chang'e, were subsequently banished from heaven, and forced to live by hunting on earth. He became a famous archer.

In those days, there were 10 suns circling the earth, in the form of three-legged birds residing in a mulberry tree in the eastern sea. Each day, one of the sun birds would have to travel around the world on a carriage, driven by a deity. One day, all 10 of the suns circled together, causing the earth to burn. Emperor Yao, the Emperor of China, commanded Houyi to shoot down all but one of the suns. Upon the completion of his task, the Emperor rewarded Houyi with a pill that granted eternal life, and advised him: "Make no haste to swallow this pill; first prepare yourself with prayer and fasting for a year". Houyi took the pill home and hid it under a rafter, while he began healing his spirit. Houyi was summoned again by the emperor. Chang'e, noticing a white beam of light beckoning from the rafters, discovered the pill, and swallowed it. Immediately, she found that she could fly and began to fly out the window and towards the sky.

With a bow in hand, Houyi sped after her, and the pursuit continued halfway across the heavens. Finally, Houyi had to return to Earth because of the force of the wind was too great for him. Chang'e reached the moon, and breathless, she coughed. Part of the pill fell out from her mouth. Now, there was a hare on the moon, and Chang'e commanded the animal to make another pill from it, so that she could return to earth to her husband.

The hare is still there, pounding herbs, trying to make the pill. As for Houyi, he built himself a palace in the sun as "Yang" (the male principle), with Chang'e as "Yin" (the female principle). Once a year, on the 15th day of the full moon, Houyi visits his wife. That is why, on that day every year, there is a perfect full moon in the sky.

Well, that's the story I heard, anyway. There's at least 5 other versions of the story, including one that has Mongolian rebellions and hiding secret messages in mooncakes and holding out lanterns on the day. But I'm too lazy to type all that out today.

N.B. Houyi story taken from Wikipedia.