It's always been our desire to give Lilli as much exposure to Chinese customs and history. We want her to be PROUD of her ancestory. As often as possible, we have celebrated Chinese holidays. Tonight is Moon Festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival... and is based on the Legend of Chang E. I have copied the story below from:
"No one is certain of all the details of the Chang E legend, but the story goes something like this:
Chang E was a beautiful young girl working in the Jade Emperor's palace in heaven, where immortals, good people and fairies lived. One day, she accidentally broke a precious porcelain jar. Angered, the Jade Emperor banished her to live on earth, where ordinary people lived. She could return to the Heaven, if she contributed a valuable service on earth.
Chang E was transformed into a member of a poor farming family. When she was 18, a young hunter named Hou Yi from another village spotted her, now a beautiful young woman. They became friends.
One day, a strange phenomenon occurred -- 10 suns arose in the sky instead one one, blazing the earth. Hou Yi, an expert archer, stepped forward to try to save the earth. He successfully shot down nine of the suns, becoming an instant hero. He eventually became king and married Chang E.
But Hou Yi grew to become a despot. He sought immortality by ordering an elixir be created to prolong his life. The elixir in the form of a single pill was almost ready when Chang E came upon it. She either accidentally or purposely swallowed the pill. This angered King Hou Yi, who went after his wife. Trying to flee, she jumped out the window of a chamber at the top of palace -- and, instead of falling, she floated into the sky toward the moon.
King Hou Yi tried to shoot her down with arrows, but without success. Once on the moon, Chang E became a three-legged toad, as punishment from the Queen Mother, according to one version of the legend. Her companion, a rabbit, is constantly pounding the elixir of immortality in a large mortar.
The moon is also inhabited by a wood cutter who tries to cut down the cassia tree, giver of life. But as fast as he cuts into the tree, it heals itself, and he never makes any progress. The Chinese use this image of the cassia tree to explain mortal life on earth -- the limbs are constantly being cut away by death, but new buds continually appear.
Meanwhile, King Hou Yi ascended to the sun and built a palace. So Chang E and Hou Yi came to represent the yin and yang, the moon and the sun."
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We will be celebrating Moon Festival tonight, following ancient Chinese customs... drinking our hot tea & eating mooncakes by the light of the full moon. Moon Festival is a time for people to look up at the moon and remember friends and family far away. Perhaps they are looking up at the moon at the same time. Our thanks to Jane Wynne, John Shao... & our friends at the House of Wang for giving us the authentic mooncakes to eat tonight. We're looking forward to it!!...and Lilli's bedtime story will be "Round is a Mooncake", by Roseanne Thong and Grace Lin. Thank you Susan, Tom, Bella Rose & Anne Mallot for sharing this treasure with us! We can't wait to read it tonight!
Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival everyone. Pictures from tonight's celebration to come soon!
