Filipino Chinese Community Mid-Autumn Festival Celebration
For 2013, the Mid-Autumn
or Moon Festival falls of Sept 19.
Every year, we get a lot of invitations from various
acquaintances of my husband’s family, to join the Moon Festival Celebration.
It’s a chance to get together with friends from former school, club, family
association or even their exercise group. For this year, the invitations came
from the following:
- Jin Nan Alumni – this is the Elementary Alma Matter of the husband. The event is well attended by many generations of Elementary school graduates from Jin Nan. Current teachers and even the retired ones are also invited to the occasion
- Lion’s Club – this is one of the regular yearly celebrations of the Manila Continental Lion’s Club, where my father-in-law is an active member. My pa-in-law, Lion Joe (i.e., every member of the club is called a Lion), simply loves to prepare for this event
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| Lucky Mama showing off winnings from the Gona Association Moon Festival Festivities |
- Gona Association – my husband’s ancestral roots came from the province of Fookien, China. The Moon Festival Celebration is also a yearly activity for their association. Members take this opportunity to gather several generations of people, who belong to the clan
- Sakya Exercise Club – since my ma-in-law’s retirement from teaching, she joined the Sakya Exercise Club. She leaves the house early in the morning on certain days for her morning exercises. The group consists mostly of Filipino Chinese elderlies, who like her are mostly retired or are housewives and grannies. No one can out beat these fitness ladies from enjoying the Moon Festival
- Karaoke Club – my ma-in-law loves to sing. On certain nights of the week, she joins friends to a night of songs. Again, these song birds simply won’t pass up the chance to test their luck on the dice game
The program for each celebration varies from group-to-group.
There are speeches from various officers of the club, awardings or recognitions
for achievements for members of the clan or school alumni, a feast of sumptuous
food, karaoke singing, and the highlight of the event is the Moon Festival Dice
game.
Depending on the time of preparations and amount of budget for the festivities, prizes may range from grocery items, house or kitchenwares, gadgets, toiletries and cash. As the event ends, participants leave the event place with full bellies and smiles on their faces. Fun, fun, fun is the name of the game.
Depending on the time of preparations and amount of budget for the festivities, prizes may range from grocery items, house or kitchenwares, gadgets, toiletries and cash. As the event ends, participants leave the event place with full bellies and smiles on their faces. Fun, fun, fun is the name of the game.
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| Just throw the dice and win a prize!!! |
The Moon Festival Dice game is also called “Bo Bing” in
Xiamen, Ningde, Kinmen and other areas in Southern Fujien and Taiwan. It traces
its origin during the time of General Zheng Chenggong. The game was created to
keep his troops occupied during the mid-autumn festival, and while waiting to
re-take Taiwan from foreign occupation.
To this day, although, widely played in different Chinese
communities, the rules of the game are never completely unified.
Things you need:
- Six (6) dice
- Porcelain bowl with wide mouth. Porcelain is preferred because the dice bounce better when thrown
- A table – a round table, if available is always the best choice. Although a square or rectangular one may also be used
- Sets of prizes for each number combination. For suggested quantities of prizes to prepare for each dice combination, refer to Table 1: Prize Guide for Each Dice Combination
- If you have a big group, divided the number of players according to the number of sets of prizes that you have prepared.
- Draw lots among the players to determine the sequence for throwing the dice. Arrange the players around the table sequencially. Player No. 1 gets to throw the dice first. Followed by play No. 2 and so on.
- Arrange the prizes according to Dice Combination. Make sure that they are within the reach of each player.Table 1: Prize Guide for Each Dice CombinationPrize CategoryName ofDice CombinationNumber of Prizesto Prepare1stChong-wan (Major Prize)12ndTwi-teng23rdSam-hong44thSi-jin85thDi-hong166thIt-siu32
- Begin the game by placing the porcelain bowl on the table, and allowing player No. 1 to throw the dice into the bowl.
- Important: Make sure all the dice fall into the bowl, otherwise, that player loses the turn for that round.
- Check the dice combination that results from the throw, and give the player the corresponding prize. See Table 2 for details.Table 2: Identifying Prizes for Each Dice CombinationPrize CategoryName ofDice CombinationDice Combination1stChong-wan(Major Prize)Four 4s, or Five of any number2ndTwi-teng1,2,3,4,5,6;or 3 of any number and 3 of another number3rdSam-hongThree 4s and other assorted numbers4thSi-jinFour of the same number, except 45thDi-hongTwo 4s and other assorted numbers6thIt-siuOne 4 and other assorted numbers
- Pass the bowl to the next player, and repeat step 4, until all the prizes are won. This can take several rounds.
- The player, who wins the first prize, also gets to keep the dice used during the game for luck.
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| To seal ones luck, the winner or Chong-wan, also gets to keep the set of dice used during the game |
About the Moon Festival
The mid-autumn festival is a Chinese celebration that dates
back to 3000 years ago. During the Zhou Dynasty they celebrated the mid-autumn
festival to worship the moon. Moon worship or Xi Yue was a common practice
during the Han and Shang Dynasties. The practice of celebrating the mid-autumn
festival became prevalent during the Tang Dynasty. However, it was during the
Song Dynasty that people started making round moon cakes as gifts and expression
of good wishes for their relatives during family reunions.
The mid-autumn festival falls on the 15th day of
the 8th month of the lunar calendar. This is usually around -mid or
-late September in the Gregorian calendar. During this time of the year, the moon
is at its fullest and brightest, symbolizing an abundant summer harvest. The
main food for this festival is the mooncake, which comes in many varieties.
For the Chinese farmers, the mid-autumn festival is a
celebration of the end of the summer harvest season. This is akin to the Thanksgiving celebration of the west. Family
members and friends gather to admire the beauty of the moon, while having
barbecue and eating moon cakes and pommelos. Special customs, such as lighting
of lanterns, burning of incense, dancing lions, are also practiced in different parts of the country.
Moon Festival Legends and Myths
Legends say that during a full moon, watch out for the image
of a lovely girl and a rabbit.
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| Moon goddess Chang'e. Grabbed from Wikipedia: Mid-Autumn Festival |
The most famous legend is about the story of a beautiful
maiden, named Chang’e and her husband, a brave archer, named Hou Yi. It is said
that Hou Yi was awarded by an immortal an elixir of immortality for saving the
earth. It is said that once upon a time, there were ten suns burning fiercely
in the sky. This caused a terrible drought, loss of plant life and drying of
the rivers. Hou Yi took his arrows and shot down nine suns, leaving one sun to
provide light for the earth. This
immediately cooled the earth. Rains poured and filled the rivers. There was
enough water to nourish the plants. The earth was saved!
The legend varies from this point. In one version, it is
said that Hou Yi didn’t want to leave Chang’e, so he asked her to keep the
elixir. On the 15th of the 8th month of the lunar
calendar, an evil man named Feng Meng, tried to steal the elixir from Chang’e,
while Hou Yi was away hunting. Chang’e refused to give it to him, so she drank
them all instead and immediately flew into the sky. But because of Chang’e
loved her husband, she decide to stay on the moon, where her husband can see
her. When Hou Yi learned about this, he was saddened. From that day on he
offered cakes and fruits that Chang’e liked, while in his yard. Other people
sympathized with him and followed what he was doing.
Another legend is about an arrogant and lazy man named Wu
Kang, who wanted to have immortality and live on the moon. His immortal mentor
granted his wish to live on the moon. While there he realized that he wanted to
live on earth. His immortal mentor tricked him by asking him to chop a cassia
tree before he can go back to earth. Lazy as he is, after being close to
chopping down the tree, he’d stop and rest. While he rests, the tree magical
grows. Thus, his chopping the tree became an never ending process.
The last legend is about an old man, who was accompanied by
a rabbit, a fox and a monkey. Famine struck, so the three decided to find food
so that the old man can survive. The monkey picked up some dried fruits. The
fox didn’t find food, but found wood for fire. The rabbit on the other hand
came back empty handed. Overcome with guilt to see the old man dying, he
announced to his companions that he’ll make a sacrifice to feed them. He then
plunged into the fire. The gods were touched by his sacrifice and decided to
reward him by making the moon his eternal home as the Jade Rabbit.
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| Yummy moon cakes are the celebratory food during the Moon Festival |
