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My VMI Card has Arrived

The story goes like this:

Rivers dried up, the land became barren, and many people died.
Seeing the death and destruction caused by his sons, the Jade Emperor took this matter to the god Hou Yi. The Emperor asked Hou Yi to persuade his sons to rise up away from the earth to end the catastrophe.

Mooncakes
Mooncakes became part of the Mid-Autumn Festival because during the Yuan dynasty (1280 1368 A.D.) when China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (960-1280 A.D.) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set out to co-ordinate the rebellion
without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing
near, ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack.

On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels succesfully attacked and overthrew the government.

What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.).

Today, mooncakes are eaten to commemorate this event.

For generations, mooncakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus-seed paste or Chinese dates, wrapped in a pastry. Sometimes, a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of the rich tasting dessert.

Lanterns
Chinese lanterns are also specialities for this festival. The most common are the paper folding type.
However, there are many varieties of lanterns made of different shapes and materials.
In Malaysia, kids like to buy the lanterns in animal or flower shapes which are sold in Chinese sundry shops, night markets or wet markets, or at the nearest shopping centre.

During the festival, parents allow children to stay up late, and take them to high vantage points to light their lanterns and watch the moon rise before eating their mooncakes.

This article was published in the Star By Lim Nee Ean (First published in The Star on 16/ 9/99)

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to all my friends and readers.