The mid-autumn festival which fell on 12th September this year always brings back memories of the old days when we were kids and running around with our paper lanterns. In those days, praying to the moon was a big affair and setting up the table was great fun as we had lots to offer to the moon.
"Koe Wah"
Apart from mooncakes and fruits, we offered “Koe Wah” (a sweet white cake), small young yams and “Leng Kok” (this is an ornately shaped fruit from the water caltrop plant. It resembles the head of a bull or some say a small black bird. You have to have very strong teeth to eat them!).
"Leng Kok" or water caltrops
Did you know that if you eat the yams while looking at the moon, you will be assured of a young, beautiful complexion? That’s what the old folks say!
These items are still available today but busy lifestyles have compelled people to simplify their offerings. In fact, very few people observe this tradition nowadays, especially since man set foot on the moon. There is a joke going around that when you pray to the moon, you’re actually praying to the American and Russian flags!
Mooncakes are not a great favourite with me as I find them too sweet. Just as well because the price of this mid-autumn festival delicacy has again gone up! The papers report that there is an average hike in price of 15% this year due to the rise in cost of raw materials (always a convenient excuse to raise prices!) The cheapest mooncake I could find in the shop I went to costs RM10. Anything more exotic costs from RM14 to RM16 each. If you want a mooncake giftpack with all the window dressing, it will cost you well over RM100! It is not surprising that sales are rather slow. Some of the supermarkets I have been to still have tons of mooncakes, unsold.
One last thought - does the Moon Goddess ever get tired of mooncakes?
Simple offerings to the moon
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