The Mid-Autumn Winter Festival

Today is the 15th day in the Eight Lunar Month – popularly known as the Mid-Autumn Winter Festival .. or as locals like to call it, the Mooncake Festival. This occasion is the second most celebrated festival amongst the Chinese community worldwide, next to Chinese New Year.

And how did the ‘Mooncake Festival’ come about?

Seems that back in olden China there was this Emperor dude .. the Zhou Dynasty, I think .. who wasn’t too popular with his subjects. The local folks then decide to hatch a plan to overthrow the unpopular Emperor – however dear old Kingy was pretty adamant about communication between the masses – all mail was scrutinised and screened – so the local folks hid the messages in the delicacies or cakes that was passed to relatives and families during this celebration – thereby ensuring proper communication and subsequently the downfall of the unfortunate Emperor.

Closer to home, the Mooncake festival in my family is pretty much celebrated much like any other occasion – basically with an obscene amount of food on the table, heavily tipped in favour of meats – and with all manner of uncles and aunties and kids yelling and screaming ( the kids, but sometimes the uncles and aunties too .. hehe ) and running around.

And of course it wouldn’t be a gathering if somehow a mahjong table didn’t make an appearance – with all the elders suddenly getting more animated with the prospect of shuffling ivory blocks around on a white piece of paper.

The womenfolk would usually be gathered around to share the latest gossip – in most cases usually about a certain relative’s scandalous not so secret affair – or about someone’s nephew or niece’s latest boyfriend or girlfriend.

The guys would usually be sitting around looking bored – me included. Later on at night the kids would be gathered outside armed with matches and TONS of candles, setting fire to anything they can get a hold of. And of course during this debacle, they would be encouraged by the adults, who would pretend to be around just to keep an eye on things.

It’s noisy and irritating and annoying and basically just chaos. And I can’t wait for next year. Hehe.