Mid-autumn morsels
Here’s a contemporary twist to a sweet treat that’s often overlooked during this auspicious festival, writes
it’s always overlooked or given away for free when customers purchase mooncakes.
But to children, these tiny slabs of biscuits are the best. They’re favoured over mooncakes because they don’t contain sticky sweet lotus paste and salted egg yolk. Actually, they’re an enduring favourite of mine, and my mum would still buy them for me whenever she spots them at the
(night market) or old bakeries back home in Batu Pahat.
WORSHIPING THE MOON
Every year between the months of September and October, the Chinese community celebrate the auspicious MidAutumn festival.
It’s auspicious because it’s the eighth month on the lunar calendar and it’s believed that the full moon appears the brightest then. This celebration, like many other Chinese festivals, comes with legends and myths. But unlike legends of brave heroism with knights slaying dragons, the legend of the moon goddess is a sad one of self-sacrifice.
There are two versions of the folklore and both tell the tale of Chang’e who sacrificed herself to save the ones she loved. Chang’e was the wife of the great archer Hou Yi, who saved China from being scorched by shooting nine out of the 10 suns that rose over the land. The archer was given the elixir of immortality as a reward but here’s where the similarity ends.
In one version, a villain snuck in while Hou Yi was away to steal the elixir, and Chang’e drank it to prevent the potion from falling into the wrong hands. She then flew up to the heavens but chose the moon as her residence to be close to her husband whom she loved very much.
In another version, Hou Yi turned tyrannical after he was pronounced king by the grateful people. He wanted the elixir to live an immortal life.
However, Chang’e stole it on the 15th of August and consumed it to prevent the cruel king from being immortal. She fled to the moon when he discovered her treachery. He died shortly after, overcome by anger.
Learning of her selflessness, people began commemorating her by displaying the fruits and cakes she liked