They say riches are a deadly temptation...well, so are mooncakes especially when one has to wait a whole year to eat them! So this year I gave in to temptation and treated myself to a couple, my favourite being the lotus paste ones with single egg yolk. Simply delicious!
The mooncake festival inevitably brings back memories of the time when mum was alive. Praying to the moon every year was a must and she would get so excited buying mooncakes and all other items for worship to the moon. I remember when we were in London one year, she insisted on going to Chinatown to get mooncakes. They were of course very expensive but that didn't deter her and when we got back to our hotel room, she set up a small table near the window, lit some jossticks and did her prayers, though it was broad daylight and there was no sign of the moon! That little episode had me quite worried as I was afraid the jossticks might accidentally set fire to the curtains in the room! Fortunately that didn't happen and later, we went downstairs and presented the manager of the hotel with two mooncakes. She had never eaten them before and was so thrilled!
Mooncakes are the hallmark food of the Mid-Autumn Festival and will always remain an intrinsic part of Chinese culture. And while in this lighter mood, here's a thousand year old poem I would like to share with you:
人有悲歡離合
月有陰晴圓缺
此事古難全
但願人長久
千里共嬋娟
苏轼 1076
Men have sorrow and joy,
Parting from each other and being together again.
The moon also alternates between dimness and brightness, waxes and wanes.
These things happen all the time, since ancient times.
May we all be blessed with longevity, so that we can share our time together.
Even we are apart thousands of miles, we can still share the beauty of the same moon
Shu Shi 1076
Savour a mooncake,
Enjoy the moonlight,
Reminisce old friendships
And may the moon shine bright with happy moments
for you to cherish every year!
HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL!
No comments:
Post a Comment