Mid autumn festival

中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival is probably one of my favorite festivals. 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival has many names, some other places might call it “Mooncake Festival” or the “Lantern Festival”, and many other names even in Chinese. In Hong Kong though, the most commonly known name for this festival is 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival. 中(Dummy PY: Chong) means middle, medium, centre, etc, and 秋(Dummy PY: Chow) is short for 秋天(Dummy PY: Chow Tin) which I have mentioned in the season and weather episode, 秋天(Dummy PY: Chow Tin) means Autumn or fall. 節(Dummy PY: Jeet) means festival or a certain time period. So 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) very simply is the festival for the arrival of mid-autumn. Interestingly, over here in North America, only a few days ago marked the beginning of fall. However, for Chinese people, as a collective community regardless of where they live, that still go by and follow the Chinese Lunar calendar, 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) supposedly is the 15th of the 8th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This year, on our western calendar, 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) that marks the beginning of mid-autumn or fall begins on Oct 1, 2020. Not quite sure where you live, I know in Hong Kong it’s still pretty hot at the moment, and people still have their air conditioners on. But where I live, it is getting pretty chilly. A couple of nights ago, it was 2c, 35.6F at night. From my experience, because I was born around 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet)mid-autumn festival, usually at this time, Hong Kong is still as hot as an oven, no fall feels at all.

I think maybe it might be easier if I talk about the origins of this festival first. We have a lot of cool stories surrounding this festival, I am going to tell you a couple of more well-known ones. Let’s start with the one about the moon月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung) because the festival is also a celebration of the moon月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung). 月(Dummy PY: Yuet) means moon or months, because interestingly for some miraculous reason 月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung) the moon orbits the Earth in a whole round is around 27 days, roughly almost a month. I guess the ancient Chinese people observed the changes in the moon 月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung) and its correlation with time, and later named the word months 月(Dummy PY: Yuet). Some say the festival is also for paying respects to the moon god. Usually in Autumn, the 15th of the 8th month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the moon is specially rounded and big, you can pay a little attention to the moon on Oct 1 this year and see if the moon is actually rounded and big. So the story behind the moon for us Chinese people as a collective, not by nationality is, once upon a time, there were 10 suns in the sky, the land was barren and dry, crops wouldn’t grow, people lived a very harsh life. Later came a Hero, his name was 后羿(Dummy PY: How Ngai) who was really strong and powerful, and he felt bad for the regular people who were suffering. So he decided to use his bow and arrow to shoot down 9 of the suns. He did, so people all loved him because he ended the suffering. He later married a woman named 嫦娥 (Dummy PY: Sheung Ngo) she was supposed to be really gorgeous and kind-hearted. Because this guy was so popular, many people wanted to get good with him, including people that didn’t have the best intentions. One day, 后羿(Dummy PY: How Ngai) bumped into 王母娘娘(Dummy PY: Wong Mo Leung Leung) who is in the Chinese mythological legend, one of the most powerful figures of the deities. Apparently, she has the power of bringing disasters or diseases to the humankind. 后羿(Dummy PY: How Ngai) bumped into 王母娘娘(Dummy PY: Wong Mo Leung Leung) one day and begged her to give him a pack of medications that can prevent death. According to the legend, if human beings are to take these forever living medications, you can immediately turn into a deity and can fly up to the sky, in Cantonese we call it 升仙(Dummy PY: Sing Seen). 升(Dummy PY: Sing) means to ascend and 仙(Dummy PY: Seen) means deity or fairy or entities that have magical powers that are no longer humans. So there was this other guy who found out about these meds 藥(Dummy PY: Yurk), so one day, just when 后羿(Dummy PY: How Ngai) the hero left home and only 嫦娥 (Dummy PY: Sheung Ngo) the wife was left at home with the servants, this evil guy tried to steal these meds藥(Dummy PY: Yurk). 嫦娥 (Dummy PY: Sheung Ngo) did not want him to steal them, so she immediately took all of the meds 藥(Dummy PY: Yurk)in order not to be coerced into giving up these meds 藥(Dummy PY: Yurk)into the wrong hands. She took these all the meds藥(Dummy PY: Yurk), she did a light jump and flew out the window, she flew all the way to the moon 月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung) so she could still watch her husband. When 后羿(Dummy PY: How Ngai) heard about this from the servants, he was so mad and was trying to kill the guy who was trying to steal the meds藥(Dummy PY: Yurk), but he fled. He was completely heartbroken, and he noticed the shadows reflected on the moon 月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung)looked strikingly similar to his wife. He chased the moon 月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung), but no matter what he couldn’t reach it. Since then, the other citizens also heard about the incident of 嫦娥 (Dummy PY: Sheung Ngo) becoming a deity 仙(Dummy PY: Seen) and flying to the moon月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung), they started putting up food 食物(Dummy PY: Sick Mud) and shrine to pay respects for 嫦娥 (Dummy PY: Sheung Ngo) around this time. Eventually, it becomes our tradition of viewing and appreciating the moon月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung), which we call 賞月 (Dummy PY: Sheung Yuet) appreciating the moon.

Now I have mentioned mooncake, 月餅 (Dummy PY: Yuet Bang) the word literally means moon and biscuits or crackers. There is another story about people back in the days using mooncakes 月餅 (Dummy PY: Yuet Bang) to start a revolution. I will tell you right now. The whole tradition of eating mooncakes 月餅 (Dummy PY: Yuet Bang) during 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet)mid-autumn festival started in the Yuen dynasty 元朝(Dummy PY: Yuen Chew). It was the first time in Chinese history that China back then was ruled by non-Han Chinese people. The Mongolians 蒙古人 (Dummy PY: Mung Gu Yan) at the time, took over the land and ruled it, according to the history we know right now, the Mongolians 蒙古人 (Dummy PY: Mung Gu Yan) didn’t treat the Han Chinese people 漢人(Dummy PY: Hon Yan) very nicely. This is the history that we know right now, trying not to be biased, but keep in mind because history is written with a specific lens and perspective, so it is ultimately subjective. So because at the time, the Han people 漢人(Dummy PY: Hon Yan) were treated unfairly and terribly, this guy 朱元璋 (Dummy PY: Chu Yuen Cheung) had organized with other people to start a revolution. But because the security was tough to get around, they couldn’t really spread the news, they had decided to put a small little note in the pastries they made, where it said “the 15th of the 8th-month revolution” so they had the pastries handed to the other people who were also interested in participating in the revolution without causing any suspicions. So then on the day of the 15th of the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, on 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid Autumn festival, people started the revolution and it was a success. Later the pastries that they made were handed out to those people who also helped with the revolution as a reward of their hard work, so later this pastry is now our 月餅 (Dummy PY: Yuet Bang) moon cake and we eat it around the time of 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet)Mid Autumn festival.

So let’s talk a little about what we do for 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet)mid-autumn festival in Hong Kong, other than looking at the moon 賞月 (Dummy PY: Sheung Yuet) and eating mooncakes食月餅 (Dummy PY: Sick Yuet Bang). In Hong Kong, the day of 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival, like Oct1, 2020 this year, we really don’t get the day off on the day of 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival. We have the day off on the day after, unlike places like Taiwan for example, where they have the day off right on 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival. The reason why Hong Kong has the day off on the day after 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival is because usually, we stay up playing late at night, so in order not to have a bunch of tired sleepy workers come back to work the next day, Hong Kong just decided to have that day off on the day after 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival. Usually, on the night of 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet)mid-autumn festival friends and families will gather for dinner. A little like Thanksgiving, it’s essentially the season when Chinese farmers back in the days harvested, and it’s the day we appreciate their hard work of the year. Different places where Chinese communities reside, they have different customs and traditions. The version I am telling you is the one that I know of and most familiar with in Hong Kong. Sometimes after dinner, some people will pay respects to our ancestors, our deceased relatives, etc. We also eat mooncakes 食月餅 (Dummy PY: Sick Yuet Bang) around the time of 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) Mid-Autumn Festival. Usually for the younger more energetic people, right after dinner we all dash off to play. What do we play with? The most exciting thing, fire 火（Dummy PY： For). Word of caution, please bring away any garbage you leave behind after the festival, and do not add other substances to the fire火（Dummy PY： For). Every year we see a lot of fire accidents happen during this festival. Kids usually will have their own lanterns燈籠(Dummy PY: Dung Lung). 燈 (Dummy PY: Dung) means lamp or light and 籠(Dummy PY: Lung) means a cage. So a cage for the lights lanterns 燈籠(Dummy PY: Dung Lung). Lanterns燈籠(Dummy PY: Dung Lung) come in different shapes and sizes, usually, animals or cartoon characters that kids like. There are the traditional ones, usually made with paper, and you will have to light a candle or two to place inside the lantern燈籠(Dummy PY: Dung Lung). The modern ones are usually made with plastic, they have a little light installed inside already, and when you turn it on, sometimes it will have music too.

The little more grown-up kids like to go to parks to play with candles 蠟燭 (Dummy PY: Lap Juk)蠟 (Dummy PY: Lap）means wax, and 燭 (Dummy PY: Juk) this word refers to things that can be lit that are wrapped with strings and wax oil. So 蠟燭 (Dummy PY: Lap Juk) means candle. We play it the way that you imagined it, just light them up and watch them burn, you can make them into nice patterns, whatever you want to do with them. Some people who seek excitement will 煲蠟 (Dummy PY: Bowl Lap), meaning boiling the wax. Please don’t do it, not only is it illegal, it is also very dangerous. I have witnessed a semi explosion before when other people 煲蠟 (Dummy PY: Bowl Lap) boil the wax. Not quite sure if I should be asking people not to do it, because with the reverse psychology sometimes when you ask people not to do something, and they just love to do the opposite. Anyhow, please refrain from doing that. Essentially what people do is that they like to melt the candles 蠟燭 (Dummy PY: Lap Juk) in a metal container, when a lot of wax has been melted, some people might throw in some other stuff, like leaves, and twigs to keep the fire going. But when the wax reaches a certain boiling point, it pops and people might get hurt from the boiling wax, some people could get severely burnt. So for your own safety and others, please don’t do it.

Finally, the last tradition in Hong Kong I want to talk about is the Fire dragon dance 舞火龍(Dummy PY: Mo For Lung). 舞(Dummy PY: Mo) is short for 跳舞 (Dummy PY: Teel Mo) dancing, 火（Dummy PY： For) means fire like I just mentioned, and 龍(Dummy PY: Lung) means dragon. So Fire dragon dance 舞火龍(Dummy PY: Mo For Lung). Fire dragon dance 舞火龍(Dummy PY: Mo For Lung) is a tradition kept alive in Hong Kong from Canton, now called Guangzhou, China. It’s our Cantonese tradition, very exciting. You will be able to see the Fire dragon dance 舞火龍(Dummy PY: Mo For Lung) in Pok Fu Lam Village and Tai Hung Village in Causeway Bay, all in the Hong Kong Island area. My final story of the day, why do we do this? According to the folklore, Tai Hung Village in Causeway Bay used to be a very calm little village. On one 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet)mid-autumn festival’s eve, the night before, typhoon 颱風 (Dummy PY: Toy Fung), which is basically a tropical cyclone hit the village and they had a giant python that came to the village. Snake in Cantonese is 蛇 (Dummy PY: Se) and python in Cantonese is 蠎蛇(Dummy PY: Mong Se). This 大蠎蛇(Dummy PY: Die Mong Se) giant python was going around the village and eating the people’s live stocks, like chickens and whatnot, so the villagers worked together and killed this 大蠎蛇(Dummy PY: Die Mong Se) giant python. The next morning after the typhoon 颱風 (Dummy PY: Toy Fung), the remains of the 大蠎蛇(Dummy PY: Die Mong Se) giant python was gone. Later came a terrible plague, and many villagers were worried. So a Taoist Monk came and told the villagers that the 大蠎蛇(Dummy PY: Die Mong Se) giant python that they killed was actually the deep sea dragon king’s son, and the plague was a punishment. An old man in the village claimed that he had a dream where a deity 神仙 (Dummy PY: Sun Seen) 神 (Dummy PY: Sun) means god, and 仙(Dummy PY: Seen) like I mentioned earlier means deity or fairy or entities that have magical powers that are no longer humans. 神仙 (Dummy PY: Sun Seen) means a deity. This deity 神仙 (Dummy PY: Sun Seen) told this old man in a dream that 火龍(Dummy PY: For Lung) fire dragon can counter the Deep sea dragon king. So the villagers built this 火龍(Dummy PY: For Lung) fire dragon, using wheat to built the head, and incenses 香 (Dummy PY: Heung) were used inserted into the body of the 火龍(Dummy PY: For Lung) fire dragon. The 火龍(Dummy PY: For Lung) fire dragon was then brought out for a parade on 中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet)mid-autumn festival, the villagers were throwing firecrackers at the 火龍(Dummy PY: For Lung) fire dragon. For some strange reason it worked, the plague was gone. So since then, it’s become a tradition to have the Fire dragon dance 舞火龍(Dummy PY: Mo For Lung) to keep the village safe. It has now become our tradition kept for over 100 years.

Vocab:

中秋節(Dummy PY: Chong Chow Jeet) - Mid Autumn Festival

秋天(Dummy PY: Chow Tin) - Autumn

月(Dummy PY: Yuet) - Month / Moon

月亮(Dummy PY: Yuet Leung) - Moon

賞月 (Dummy PY: Sheung Yuet) - Appreciating the moon

月餅 (Dummy PY: Yuet Bang) - Mooncakes

燈籠(Dummy PY: Dung Lung) - lanterns

火（Dummy PY： For) - fire

蠟燭(Dummy PY: Lap Juk) - Candles

煲蠟 (Dummy PY: Bowl Lap) - Boiling wax

藥(Dummy PY: Yurk) - Medications

颱風 (Dummy PY: Toy Fung) - Typhoon

神 (Dummy PY: Sun) - god

神仙 (Dummy PY: Sun Seen) - Deity

升仙(Dummy PY: Sing Seen)- ascending into a deity

蛇 (Dummy PY: Se) - Snake

蠎蛇(Dummy PY: Mong Se) - Python

香 (Dummy PY: Heung) - Incense

舞火龍(Dummy PY: Mo For Lung) - Fire dragon dance

跳舞 (Dummy PY: Teel Mo) - Dance