October has begun… already! For me it is the time of final big exams and piled up work… but fortunately we’ve ended September in a cheerer note with the Chinese Moon Festival, which my family and I celebrated on Sunday 30th September 🙂
To start, we go to our grandma’s place and we have dinner together… well like any day. It gets interesting only when the clock strikes 7.00 p.m (GMT+4h). Because when the clocks strikes 7, we pay attention to the sky, looking out for the full moon. We patiently wait for it to come up in its full glowing glory, after it no longer hides behind the clouds.
Can you see the little moon in the photograph?
While we wait for the moon to be clearly visible, we set up our altar, which mainly consists of moon cakes, grilled peanuts red sandals and candles.
We pray to the full moon with the sandals found in the centre of the altar at first, by holding them and bowing 3 times.
Then we light the other two red candles and we in fact waited for the wax to melt halfway down…
And while we wait – patiently or impatiently – we play hide and seek with the moon!
We were lucky this year to be assisted by a beautiful big full moon (yeah it’s not that big in the photos but it was for real!) and no clouds were of any inconvenience 🙂
The candles melt rather quickly and thus, here comes the next part: we have to burn papers! It’s a sort of offering I guess to the moon, just like the cakes we place on the altar…
Even more burning…
We burn the papers and throw them out of the window before anything/anyone gets burnt. And I find it incredible that our house never ever caught fire, not even the yard, for all these years that we’ve been keeping that tradition.
Finally we’re done… and we eat!
On the menu: moon cakes, peanuts (all you can find on the altar) and tea!
Happy October everyone!
An Evil Nymph.
An Evil Nymph's Blog 
Awww….. missing moon cakes 🙂
Ohh you should try to get some wherever you are 🙂 search search!
I will try may be in China town in westend but I am there is none 😦
Neat. 🙂
Thanks!
Lovely shot, very interesting post and one day I WILL taste a moon cake… ‘big smile’
Thanks! Yeah you definitely should 🙂
That food all looks delicious, lol.
Well it is!
Interesting. I wait every month for specially two phases of the moon, the quarter phase when it’s a mere sliver of an arc, and when it’s full and glowing like a bight pearl in the sky. It’s seems to complete the night. You know, I’m going to do something like this every October from now on! Cheers, Evil Nymph 😀
The moon phases are always so fascinating. Sure you should!
A belated Happy Mid Autumn my friend. It was a quiet one for me. But I got to taste a “Shanghai” mooncake. I can’t remember the type of white mooncake – shown above. Too sweet for me. Keep blogging and stay optimistic. 😊
Thank you! You too 🙂 Nice! I don’t thing I’ve ever tasted a “Shanghai” one… should find and eat one one day! Sure thanks!
A Shanghai mooncake looks different – like a bun, with the same ingredients except the texture is crusty – like eating a cake. Happy living !!!
Happy moon festival time! 😉
Thank you!
The fact the you celebrate the moon is lavely! I want some of that cake! 😀
🙂 sure: here, catch it!
😀 😀 😀
: )
I miss mooncake. 😦
Aww well next one go on travels and buy some 🙂 Celebrate!
Love the moon cake! I have never had one- it looks too pretty to eat!
Hehe indeed but when you start eating… can’t stop 🙂
Thanks for sharing your celebration. It was something I hadn’t known about. 🙂
It’s my pleasure to share 🙂