My family came from Hong Kong to Toronto, Canada around the time I was born in 1989. As we were the only ones from our extended family to have immigrated, we celebrated the traditional Chinese holidays quietly amongst just the four of us – my mom, dad, brother and myself. In Cantonese language class I learned about the folk stories surrounding the festival and all the customs and practices that came with it. Like many Chinese holidays, the mid-autumn festival draws its timing from the lunar calendar and typically landing somewhere in September, it celebrates the year’s harvest.
In recent years, more of the extended family have been making their way here to Toronto and our once-low key gatherings have become rather loud and full. With the family members came more cultural items and decorations for my parents to use in their home. I’m sure we could have gotten these in the many Chinese goods stores in Toronto but there is something fun about using the ones they brought with them – extras from their Hong Kong home that were brought here in the process of moving.
GETTING READY FOR THE FESTIVITIES
Starting in the late afternoon, we gathered and assembled the paper lanterns. The more modern ones are plastic and battery operated. These are great for small children as the paper ones can be a little fiddly. Back in the day we used a tealight in them and hung them on chopsticks. They have caught fire more times than I can count, chopstick and all so I completely understand the invention of the battery operated ones : )
Personally, I have always been drawn to retro Cantonese artwork so I am in love with the floral lanterns but there are no shortage of other designs, namely cartoon characters. My aunt got small LED lights that were made to fit where the candle would have been placed, which made it SO much safer. No fires allowed tonight!
After they were “lit”, we brought them outside where my dad hung them around the garden. My parents really enjoy decorating the house for all the differently yearly occasions and were so happy to have enough lanterns this year to make a display outside. Afterwards, we got our individual lanterns ready to go and headed out for a walk.
THE LANTERN WALK
Walking around with a lantern at mid-autumn festival symbolizes lighting the path to fortune and prosperity. The festival always happens on the full moon and much of the walk is admiring how round it is. In my parent’s community in Markham the local park had some festivities set up so we went there to check it out. Small but significant, the event had a kids colouring station, a chinese cuisine discovery table and a cute lantern display. It’s so great seeing the residents come together and celebrating the traditions.
Back at home after the walk, we sat down around the table and busted out the mooncakes. Mooncakes are a chinese pastry that is quintessential to the mid-autumn festival. Traditionally filled with lotus seed paste, many different fillings are used today, black sesame and red bean paste among them, and top brands often put out limited edition pastries that are both creatively packaged and gastronomical in taste.
This year’s menu featured the traditional style mooncake, some modern flavours from Bake Code, a local euro-asian bakery, and a very special set from Chiuchow (Teochew), which is called the thousand layer spiral mooncake. Not available in Toronto, they were brought by my uncle who ordered them in Hong Kong. What a treat!
LEGEND OF THE JADE RABBIT
You may have noticed a recurring theme of rabbits associated with the festival and that brings me to a particularly memorable folk story.
It tells a tale of three animals in the forest: a fox, a rabbit and a monkey.
One day the Emporer of Heaven wanted to test the animal’s virtues so he came to Earth disguised as an elderly man. He explained that he is hungry from traveling. The three animals set off in search of food. The fox and the monkey returned with food as promised but the rabbit came back empty handed. It then threw itself into the fire with the offer that it could be eaten. Touched, the Emporer brought the rabbit to the moon palace where it could forever be seen.
A tiny bit dramatic but that is why bunnies are often found in depictions of the moon during the mid-autumn festival!
We had such a blast this year. Mooncakes are so good, it is a shame they are available just once a year. I could eat them anytime.
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
