Mooncake

Have you ever gone and celebrated something without knowing the meaning....Vadai dun want like that one...want you to know and say thing that make u go hmmmmmm




MOONCAKE

In ancient times, people regarded the full moon as a symbol of reunion. The common folk and emperors worshipped and enjoyed viewing the moon especially during the Soong, Ming and Qing dynasties. It was customary to set up a table laden with mooncakes, pomegranates and dates in open air. After prostrating themselves before the moon, the people would sit with their families to enjoy viewing the celestial splendour.
Nobody actually knows when the custom of eating moon cakes to celebrate the Moon Festival began, and there are many legends surrounding this celebration.

At one time, China was in revolt against the Mongols. It is said that a certain Chu Yuen-chang, and his senior deputy, Liu Po-wen, discussed battle plans and developed a secret moon cake strategy to take a certain walled city held by the Mongol enemy. Liu dressed up as a Taoist priest and entered the besieged city bearing moon cakes which he handed out to the people. When the Moon Festival arrived, people opened their cakes and found hidden messages with plans to coordinate their uprising with the troops outside. This was how the emperor-to-be ingeniously took the city and his throne. Moon cakes became famous.

Another legend tells how invading Mongols had destroyed the Song Dynasty and treated the people like slaves. In a daring attempt to overthrow the Mongolian rule, rebel leaders sent hidden messages to each household baked in mooncakes. The mooncakes were part of the harvest festival and so the Mongolians would never partake of these pastries. The message instructed everyone to strike and kill the Mongolians during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The attack was successful and the Ming Dynasty was established.

And there are those who believe there is a beautiful woman on the moon. The lovely Chang-O, who lived during the Hsia dynasty (2205-1766 BCE) was married to the great General Hou-Yi of the Imperial Guard. This General Hou was a skilled archer. One day, at the behest of the emperor, he shot down eight of nine suns that had mysteriously appeared in the heaven. His marksmanship was richly rewarded by the emperor and he became very famous. However, the people feared that these suns would appear again to torture them and dry up the planet, so they prayed to the Goddess of Heaven, Wang Mu, to make General Hou immortal so that he could always defend the emperor, his progeny and the country. Their wish was granted and General Hou was given a Pill of Immortality.

Chang-O grabbed the pill and fled to the moon. (Sometimes it's uncertain whether she ever actually got there, because Chinese operas always portray her as still flying toward the moon). When Chang-O reached the moon, she found a tree and a friendly hare sitting under it. Chang-O decided to pound the pill into small pieces and scatter them on Earth so that everyone could be immortal. She ordered the hare to pound the pill,then built a palace for herself. She remains on the moon to this day. The helpful hare is found in Chinese mythology as the Jade Hare.

You will see today, stamped on every mooncake, every mooncake box, and every Moon Cake Festival poster, the beautiful Chang-O.

HAPPY CELEBRATING THE MOOKCAKE FESTIVAL