←This is a picture shot at my hometown. People gathered with their loved ones by the riverside to appreciate the moon.It is a holiday to thank, appreciate, and pray.
↓And this is what mooncakes look like.
The Chinese have been celebrating this holiday since Shang Dynasty, which is 16th to 10th Century BCE. I feel like there is always a story behind every holiday, such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. So of course there also is a myth behind this Mid-Autumn Festival.
There were originally ten suns in the sky. The lands were very dry thus people hardly had anything to eat. There was a strong man called Houyi, he was so strong that he took aim and shot nine of the suns. He left only one sun so there was enough light for everyone. The gods were happy, so they rewarded Houyi with an elixir so he could have an immortal life. Which means if he took the elixir, he would fly to the heaven and become a god.
Houyi did not want to become a god, though. He had a beautiful wife and he just wanted an ordinary life. However, the emperor heard about the immortal pill and wanted it badly, so he sent assassins to Houyi's house. When the assassin arrived, only Chang'e, Houyi's wife was home. She fought with the killer but she was too weak;among confusion and panic she swallowed the exlixir. That was when Houyi came home, and helplessly saw his wife flying off to the moon. Chang'e flew further and further until her husband could no longer see her.
Ever since then, Chang'e, the beautiful goddess had been living in the cold palace of the moon. Every August 15th, Houyi always brought flowers and cakes to his wife, but he had no where to go. He always talked to the moon and hoped that one day his wife would return.
Those mooncakes look delicious! What do they taste like?
ReplyDeleteIt is a little too sweet for me...but that's why we only eat a small piece at a time. There are so many flavors, too. Even Starbucks in China make them now haha it's kinda wired.
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