This festival is known as the Moon Festival and is held each year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month (in 2007 this is Wednesday 26 September). Because the lunar month starts on a new moon, it is always a full moon on the festival (and the full moon rises at sunset).
On this day people enjoy sitting outdoors admiring the full moon while eating moon cakes (yuèbĭng) and fruits such as pomelo (yòuzi).
The round shape (ie the full moon) to the Chinese symbolises family unity. Therefore the Moon Festival is a holiday for members of the family to get together wherever possible. On that day children will bring their family members back to their parents' home for a reunion.
During Moon Festival all types of lanterns - and especially colourful, animal shaped paper lantern - decorate houses. Moon Festival alters are adorned with five dishes of round fruits, such as apples, peaches, pomegranates, grapes and small melons - the round shape symbolising both the moon and family unity
For adoptive families a great book to read at this time (or anytime) is 'We see the moon' by Carrie A Kitze, EMK Press. A wonderful way to 'connect' with birth family in China and beautifully illustrated with Chinese Peasant Art.
The Legends
During the Yuan dynasty (AD 1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung Dynasty (AD 960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule and set out to coordinate a rebellion without being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Each cake contained a message outlining the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government and the Ming dynasty (AD 1368-1644) was created. Today moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend.
The Lady - Cháng'é
There is a legend that thousands of years ago there were 10 suns in the sky and it was burning hot on earth. An archer, Hòuyì, bravely shot down nine of the suns and saved the earth from famine. He was beloved among the people and they made him a king. He was also awarded pills of immortality by the goddess Wángmŭ Niángniang. The pills were for both him and his wife Cháng'é, but Cháng'é was curious and could not resist the temptation of immortality. She secretly took all the pills herself, which not only made her immortal but also floated her to the moon to live forever.
The Man - Wu Kang
Wu Kang was a shiftless fellow who changed apprenticeships all the time. One day he decided that he wanted to be immortal. Wu Kang then went to live in the mountains where he importuned an immortal to teach him. First the immortal taught him about the herbs used to cure sickness, but after three days his characteristic restlessness returned and he asked the immortal to teach him something else. So the immortal taught him chess, but after a short while Wu Kang's enthusiasm again waned. The Wu Kang was given the books of immortality to study. Of course, Wu Kang became bored within a few days and asked if they could travel to come new and exciting place. Angered with Wu Kang's impatience the master banished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must 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 still up there chopping.
Showing posts with label Chinese Festivals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese Festivals. Show all posts
Sunday, 23 September 2007
Saturday, 12 May 2007
Dragon Boat Festival - fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar
There are six main Chinese festivals - three for the living and three for the dead. Duan Wu Jie or the Dragon Boat Festival is the second festival of the living.
Duan Wu Jie is held on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, or June 19th 2007. The "double fifth" day represents the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
The origins of the Dragon Boat Festival date back at least two thousand years, rooted in fertility rites performed to ensure abundant rainfall in China. Rice is a staple food for people in China, and rain is essential for an abundant harvest.
Later, this changed into a festival to honour the famous Chinese poet, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the river in 295 BC, in a protest against government corruption.
The people loved him so much that they threw rice and eggs into the water to draw the fish away from his body. They honoured him every year by searching for his soul on the river in dragon boats, brightly coloured and decorated to resemble dragons, with a head at the bow and a tail at the stern.
They also prepared special rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, called Zhongzi, and threw them into the river as offerings to his soul.
The festival has developed to be more elaborate and fun. It is now celebrated with river parades, dragon boat races, rice offerings of Zhongzi, martial arts demonstrations, street theatre and firecrackers.
Festival Food - Zhongzi
Zhongzi can be either savory or sweet. Sweet Zhongzi are considered easier to make.
Sweet Zhongzi (Glutinous Rice wrapped in bamboo leaves)
Makes 12
Preparation Time about 1 hour, plus 2 hours soaking time
Cooking Time 2 hours
900g glutinous rice 1 tablespoon oil
24 dried bamboo leaves 450g black or red sweet bean paste
12 strings, each 1.5m long sugar to serve
1. Soak the rice for 2 hours, drain, change water and soak for a further 30 minutes.
2. Drain the rice well, mix in the oil.
3. Soak the bamboo leaves in warm water for 2 hours, rinse in fresh water, then drain and wipe dry.
4. Roll sweet bean paste into a sausage about 2.5cm in diameter, cut into 12 sections. Flatten each a little.
5. Place two bamboo leaves side by side together to form a triangular pouch. Add a portion of the rice and place a section of the bean paste on the rice. Cover with more rice and fold the leaves over the top and round the pouch to produce a plump, triangular-shaped bundle. Tie securely with string, but not too tightly as the rice will expand during cooking.
6. Simmer the Zhongzi in boiling water for 2 hours.
7. Open the Zhongzi packages at the table and serve hot with sugar as required. Any leftovers can be reheated unwrapped. Zhongzi taste even better reheated.
Glutinous Rice
While ordinary rice - long or short grain - is the daily staple of the Chinese diet, glutinous rice is regarded as a bit of a luxury in China and is only eaten special occasions. It contains more sugar and fat than ordinary rice, although they are both grown and harvested the same way.
The grains of glutinous rice tend to be whiter and rounder than ordinary rise and is much sweeter to the taste.
Source:
The Chinese Kitchen - a Book of essential ingredients with over 200 authentic recipes by Deh-Ta Hsiung, Kyle Cathie Limited, 1999
Duan Wu Jie is held on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar, or June 19th 2007. The "double fifth" day represents the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere.
The origins of the Dragon Boat Festival date back at least two thousand years, rooted in fertility rites performed to ensure abundant rainfall in China. Rice is a staple food for people in China, and rain is essential for an abundant harvest.
Later, this changed into a festival to honour the famous Chinese poet, Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the river in 295 BC, in a protest against government corruption.
The people loved him so much that they threw rice and eggs into the water to draw the fish away from his body. They honoured him every year by searching for his soul on the river in dragon boats, brightly coloured and decorated to resemble dragons, with a head at the bow and a tail at the stern.
They also prepared special rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, called Zhongzi, and threw them into the river as offerings to his soul.
The festival has developed to be more elaborate and fun. It is now celebrated with river parades, dragon boat races, rice offerings of Zhongzi, martial arts demonstrations, street theatre and firecrackers.
Festival Food - Zhongzi
Zhongzi can be either savory or sweet. Sweet Zhongzi are considered easier to make.
Sweet Zhongzi (Glutinous Rice wrapped in bamboo leaves)
Makes 12
Preparation Time about 1 hour, plus 2 hours soaking time
Cooking Time 2 hours
900g glutinous rice 1 tablespoon oil
24 dried bamboo leaves 450g black or red sweet bean paste
12 strings, each 1.5m long sugar to serve
1. Soak the rice for 2 hours, drain, change water and soak for a further 30 minutes.
2. Drain the rice well, mix in the oil.
3. Soak the bamboo leaves in warm water for 2 hours, rinse in fresh water, then drain and wipe dry.
4. Roll sweet bean paste into a sausage about 2.5cm in diameter, cut into 12 sections. Flatten each a little.
5. Place two bamboo leaves side by side together to form a triangular pouch. Add a portion of the rice and place a section of the bean paste on the rice. Cover with more rice and fold the leaves over the top and round the pouch to produce a plump, triangular-shaped bundle. Tie securely with string, but not too tightly as the rice will expand during cooking.
6. Simmer the Zhongzi in boiling water for 2 hours.
7. Open the Zhongzi packages at the table and serve hot with sugar as required. Any leftovers can be reheated unwrapped. Zhongzi taste even better reheated.
Glutinous Rice
While ordinary rice - long or short grain - is the daily staple of the Chinese diet, glutinous rice is regarded as a bit of a luxury in China and is only eaten special occasions. It contains more sugar and fat than ordinary rice, although they are both grown and harvested the same way.
The grains of glutinous rice tend to be whiter and rounder than ordinary rise and is much sweeter to the taste.
Source:
The Chinese Kitchen - a Book of essential ingredients with over 200 authentic recipes by Deh-Ta Hsiung, Kyle Cathie Limited, 1999
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