So what is the moon festival? Well that's a great question.
Most common answer: "We eat moon cakes and look at the moon." Why? Well....that's where it gets a little hairy. Nobody could tell me exactly what the deal-i-o was.
I kept asking. And asking. And asking. And same response. The Chinese don't even know. But- no worries- the internet to the rescue.
So the festival originates in a legend. There was a great warrior and he was exceptionally skilled with a bow. Now back in ancient Chinese days- there were 10 suns! The scorched the earth and made people very unhappy. So- the warrior was enlisted by the Emperor to shoot down the the suns. And he did- well- he shot down 9 of the suns leaving the one we today behind. As a reward for his bravery, strength and skill he was given a special pill to let him live for all of eternity. But he was instructed to fast for 1 year before taking the pill. The warrior came home, hid his pill, and began his year of fasting. Now- people heard of this great gift he had been given and wanted it for themselves. But nobody would dare attack him due to his skill and might. (This is where the story varies- but I'll give you MY favorite interpretation.) The warrior was called off again by the Emperor leaving his wife at home alone. People seized this opportunity to attack- and went after the pill. The wife in great distress, grabbed the pill, swallowed it and gained the ability to fly. She flew off into the sky and the winds carried her to the moon. She brought with her a hare and it lives on the moon with her. Her husband returned and saw what had happened. He ended up building a house on the sun. One night a year they are reunited and that is what makes the moon so bright. This also ties in the sun being a symbol for males (yang) and the moon being a symbol for women (yin.)
What did we spend our moon festival doing? Well. We worked a little- due to a scheduling mix up. We finished Mad Men on DVD. We went shopping for groceries. And indeed- the moon was full and bright. The weather here has quickly turned from warm to what I would almost classify as 'cold.' It's 50 degrees most nights here and barely getting into the high 60's during the day. It felt a lot like what I think of when I think of Halloween. Crisp, cool night. Clear skies. Bright shining moon.
In Chinese tradition the man on the moon (the face you see in the crators) is actually the hare on the moon. He lives with the wife and they work together to make another pill. This hare- is actually made of jade.
SO there you go. Another Chinese culture lesson.
LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.
PS Mark your calendars....Dec 20th.... There will be a U.S. invasion of the Czaplicki kind.
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