“…May we all be blessed with longevity though far apart, we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together…” quoted from the Thinking of You by Su Dong-Po, a well-known poet. It’s difficult for me to draw a good picture by words in other languages. The moon in Arizona is no different from that at my home, but I know something missing. Every August 15th, in farmer calendar, (September 18 this year), I always think of pomelos, moon cakes, and BBQ with the breeze, the moon, and other romantic fantasies about Mid Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival. Mid Autumn Festival to Chinese is like Christmas to Westerners. Full moon is the symbol of gathering. This day belongs to families.
Ritual of Chou (Chou Li) described that Chinese emperors in the old days worshiped the sun god and the lunar in spring and fall, respectively. Some people believe that’s the origin of the Mid Autumn Festival. Moon cakes came from the legend that Zhu Yuan-Zhang fought against the Yuan Empire. He hid the message in the cakes and passed them to everyone in town. The date was scheduled on August 15th then. Composing the people and his army, he successfully led the revolution and later became the new emperor of the Ming dynasty. People start to have moon cakes on August 15th to memorize the success. There are much more stories about this festival, from Wu Gang who continues chopping non-stop-growing cinnamonum cassia to jade hare which makes heavenly medicines. Everyone can tell you different stories and the origins. However, I particularly like the legend of Chang Er flying to the moon…
After shooting nine suns, the hero Hou Yi became the emperor. However, the new emperor turned himself into a tyrant and tortured people when he got the taste of power. The time is fair to everyone, no matter that you are nobles or common people. When Hou Yi became older and older, he was afraid of death and started to look for panacea to end death. His kind and beautiful wife, Chang Er, stole the panacea from preventing people suffering from his tyranny. Then she took the pill. That was August 15th. She was floating and flew to Guang Han Palace (direct translated from Chinese: huge and cold palace) the Moon. Ever since, she protected her people as Lunar.
When I was a kid, my family would sit in the front yard and enjoy the night and the moon on Mid Autumn Festival. I often questioned how big the Guang Han Palace was and how cold it was. Would Chang Er regretted since she lived alone there for such a long time? My parents asked us not to point at the moon. Otherwise, the Moon Maiden would cut off your ears when you were asleep. Was the Moon Maiden Chang Er? Why did such a tender and kind person do so? A lot of questions weren’t answered. As I grew up gradually, I realized that a fairy tale was just a fairy tale. Somehow, I miss the naivety and fantasies during my childhood after the mystery were revealed.
Nowadays, beside enjoying the full moon and eating moon cakes and pomelos, everything is still the same. I missed my family and friends. Although I am on the other side of Pacific Ocean, “we are still able to share the beauty of the moon together.” May you have a joyful Mid Autumn Festival, no matter you believe these beautiful tales or not.
中秋月圓人團圓
蘇軾《水調歌頭》的「但願人長久，千里共嬋娟」傳頌千古，那種意境很難用其他語言表達出來。亞利桑納的月亮跟老家沒有什麼不同，但你總會覺得少了些什麼。每逢農曆八月十五（今年為九月十八日），自然而然會想起月餅、柚子、烤肉，佐以清風、明月以及其他關於中秋節的浪漫遐想。對於華人來說，中秋節有如西洋的聖誕節，取滿月來象徵團圓，這是屬於家人的節日。
《周禮》記載中國古代帝王總於春、秋兩季祭祀天地，春天祭日、秋天祭月，有人相信這是最早中秋節的起源；至於月餅則是源自朱元璋為推翻元朝暴政，以紙條夾藏於餅中為信號，於農曆八月十五起兵抗元，自此人們為紀念這一天，開始吃起月餅…從吳剛伐桂到玉兔搗藥，每個人都可能告訴你不同的起源和故事，我個人還是喜歡嫦娥奔月的版本。
相傳古代英雄后羿射下九個太陽之後，成了皇帝，但是初嚐權力滋味的他不久竟成了暴君， 百姓民不聊生；然而上天是公平的，不論市井小民或是王公貴戚，終究有老死的一天，害怕失去權力的后羿開始訪求長生不老藥。他美麗而善良的妻子嫦娥為了不讓 百姓繼續遭受后羿暴政的摧殘，偷偷吞了他千方百計求來的仙丹；那天正是八月十五，服藥之後的她輕輕飄了起來，飛向月亮上的廣寒宮成了月神，寂靜地守護子民 千年不休。
小 時候過中秋節，吃飽飯搬張凳子坐在院子裡看月亮，我常想：廣寒宮到底有多大？又有多冷？嫦娥住在裡面那麼久，會不會後悔？大人還會告訴你不可以用手指月 亮，不然月娘會趁你晚上睡覺的時候把你的耳朵割掉…月娘不就是嫦娥嗎？為什麼溫柔而善良的嫦娥會狠心割下小孩子的耳朵？很多疑問都沒有解答，隨著年齡漸 長，終於知道傳說只是傳說，揭開了神秘的面紗，我反而懷念起小時候仰頭看著月亮的純真與幻想。
現在過中秋節，除了賞月、吃月餅、柚子，一切行禮如儀之外，我也想念我的家人和朋友。雖然人在太平洋的彼端，仍舊「千里共嬋娟」。衷心希望每個人都有個愉快的中秋節，不論你相信這些美麗的傳說與否。
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