Mid-Autumn Festival

This is J's first official mid-autumn festival and we had the opportunity to celebrate it twice; once during Gymboree class and the other at a Singapore event.

The mid-autumn festival is one of many Chinese festivals we celebrate and it falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. On this day, mooncake is eaten and children carry lanterns and walk around the estate or void decks.

It is said that the tradition of eating mooncake came during the Yuan dynasty (A.D. 1280-1368) when China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to the foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Backed into each moon caked was a message with the outline of the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attached and overthrew the government. Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend and was called the Moon Cake. [http://www.chinavoc.com/festivals/Midautumn.htm]

As for the lantern carrying tradition, I'm not too sure why.

Anyway, it's the first time J is carrying a lantern coz last year this time he was still too young to hold one. :) He was not really excited to see the lantern so he shook and he tasted it instead. It was really nice that the teacher at Gymboree telling the babies the story about the mid-autumn festival but unfortunately they were either more engrossed with their lanterns or crawling around. A pity hubby did not managed to get a photo of Gymbo (mascot of Gymboree) dressed as 'Jiu Kui' (the woodcutter). That's the name they call it in Vietnamese! :) He looks really cute...

What's this? *shake shake*

Daddy, look what I got in my hand!

Teacher, this is how Mid-Autumn Festival came about ah!

Let me taste and see if it's yummy!

As for this little piglet here, J received it during the mid-autumn festival event. This is just like the traditional mooncake, only difference is it's in the shape of a piglet instead of being round. Typically, the filling inside is also lotus paste. For now, J doesn't get to try it yet because it's rather sweet and I'm trying not to introduce too much sugar into his diet right now. Probably, next year this time, another similar piglet will be in little J's stomach! lol...

Uh oh! The little boy's got me! Wish me luck!