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Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! Celebrated in Chinese communities all over the world and in most of Southeast Asia, this 3000 year-old Chinese festival celebrates the coming of the harvest in the Northern hemisphere and is also a representation of love.
The romantic myth is of the Moon Goddess, Chang’e, who is thought to bring prosperity and good luck to families, and Hou Yi, an ancient archer who supposedly saved ancient China. They had an everlasting and true love, cursed to only see each other one night a year after Chang’e sacrificed herself for Hou Yi. Their story is now immortalised in the form of the festival and celebrated in mid to late September every year.
The festival is celebrated by coming together as a family for a meal and watching the full moon rise for good luck and prosperity. Children often light paper lanterns shaped like animals, especially rabbits, and the moon, signifying the light for prosperity. Specialised food include mooncakes, a round pastry filled with either lotus or red bean paste, and tangyuan, a soft, warm, glutinous rice cake filled with peanut or sesame paste in a warm ginger syrup.
My new Night’s Eye symbol shares a similar sentiment, one of looking up at the night sky and as a symbolism of love. The iris, like the full moon, is a gateway to the soul and represents ominecense and immortality, like Chang’e. My shooting star earring symbolizes these sentiments too.
Celebrate this year by coming together with your family, (Covid safe of course!) looking at the moon and sharing a meal, or even try a mooncake! You can find them at most Asian supermarkets and bakeries!
Much love & keep looking up,
x Hayley x Serpent & the Swan x
