殘編在家自己烤肉過今年中秋 / Chinese Moon Festival BBQ at Home and an Introduction to the holiday’s traditions, activities and stories

Happy Chinese Moon Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival) holiday! This is how we spent our holiday, watch our Youtube video first / 先看時尚高潮中秋節烤在家烤肉ＹＴ影片：

中秋節快樂！今年四天的連假想必大家都大放縱吧！？
以往年輕的殘編在每年中秋節都會跟朋友露天烤肉，然後故意遲到個一個小時，到場時男生都已經把食材烤好，我就可以直接開吃了（不要罵我，只要是女孩兒都嘛這樣好嗎？）
今年的殘編已經到了重視家人過於朋友的年紀，所以今年就買電磁烤盤在家自己烤，又快又健康（其實是沒朋友）

2020 Chinese Moon Festival Electric BBQ at Home / 中秋節在家電子烤肉

Chinese Moon Festival Day is an important holiday celebrated across many Chinese culture countries. If you’re wondering why we celebrate this seemingly random day of the year, here’s a quick introduction:

• What is Mid-Autumn Festival/ Chinese Moon Festival/ Mooncake Festival?

• The Chinese Moon Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival) Myth:

HY ( Hou Yi), was an excellent archer in ancient China. There used to be 10 suns that did not rise at the same time. One day, 10 of the suns rose at the same time and burnt the people, causing great disaster to the world. Being great at archery, HY shot down nine of the suns and left one to provide light for the people. He was soon worshiped as king by the thankful people for his bravery.

With fame and status, HY was living his life and soon grew greedy and arrogant. He did not want to die like other human beings with such great experience, he soon became a tyrannical ruler and demanded the people to seek an immortal potion for his own use.
When nobody could meet his demands, HY learned that Wang Mu, who lived high up in the mountains, possessed immortal elixirs. HY hopped on his horse to go see Wang Mu. Knowing that HY had a wife, Wang Mu gave HY 2 elixirs, one for him and one for his wife, Chang’e. Wang Mu instructed HY to take the magic pills on the 15th of August (lunar year).
When HY returned home and shared the exciting news with his wife, Chang’e wasn’t happy because she knew HY‘s immortality would mean permanent disaster to the people. So on the 15th of August, she suggested celebrating this special day with some wine, HY agreed. However, HY did not know that Chang’e secretly replaced the wine with hard liquor to save the people. Hence HY got drunk and passed out after just a few glasses. Chang’e‘s plan was to steel both elixirs. But while she was at it, she accidentally knocked off the candle on the table and woke HY up. When HY found out Chang E‘s plan, he went into rage. Chang’e panicked and swallowed both pills all at once. The overdose of the magic pills caused her body became light, and she flew up into the sky. HY then took out his bow and arrows to shoot Chang’e down. But living like a king for so long had made him lazy and stopped practicing archery. He wasn’t the great archer as he once was. He missed. Since he never got the chance to take the immortal elixir, he eventually died like other human beings. Chang’e, however, flew up to the moon and have lived there forever since. She is now known as the “Moon Goddess.”

Different variations of the story have been told over the years. Many believe that a moon rabbit that is continuously pounding medicine accompanies the Moon Goddess due to the hare-like pareidolia pattern seen when moon-watching.

• Traditions during the Chinese Moon Festival:

“Yuan,” which means “round shape” in Chinese, symbolizes fullness, so families reunion and friends gather and celebrate as a whole during this day.
Like any Chinese celebration, dragon and lion dances are a tradition.
Round shaped mooncakes are typically gifted and eaten on this day.
Other fun activities include lighting lanterns, riddle games for kids.
In modern Taiwanese culture, this day is when summer officially transitions to autumn. Taiwanese summers are nasty. When it’s hot, the temperature can rise up to over 50 degrees Celcius. Our shirts can be soaked in sweat within 5 minutes after stepping outdoors in conjunction with the humidity. Hence, we usually take advantage of the cooled-down weather and do outdoor barbecue while admiring the full moon. Friends would grocery shop and purchase charcoal and everything else for the BBQ together before claiming a spot in the park. When I was young and still had it, I’d usually arrive about an hour late so the food would be all grilled and ready to eat. Don’t judge me yet; all girls are the same.
This year due to the pandemic, we did electric grilling at home.
Just kidding. The sad truth is I no longer have friends. And COVID has turned me into an absolute loner. But if you watch my Youtube video above, I still had a blast. Electric grilling is fast and effortless, supposedly healthier, too.

2020 Chinese Moon Festival Electric BBQ at Home / 中秋節在家電子烤肉

2020 Chinese Moon Festival Electric BBQ at Home / 中秋節在家電子烤肉

• Pomelos at Chinese Moon Festival:

 BBQ

Pomelos at Chinese Moon Festival / 中秋節柚子

Taiwan is known as the “kingdom of fruit,” and September to October just happens to be the pomelo season. Hence, pomelos have become the official fruit for the Chinese Moon Festival. Pomelos are not just round as well; their citrus aromas and refreshing flavours are also ideal after a full-on heavy barbecue meal. Pomelos on Moon Festival Day are peeled into flower petal shapes and worn on kids’ heads as hats.
Since this year’s holiday falls on a Thursday, Taiwanese employees enjoy an extended 4-day holiday. Today (Sunday) is the last day of the holiday. 2020 is almost over (finally)! We can make it through! Our team at Fashion Ecstasy wish all our fans a Happy Moon Festival Day! And stay safe for the rest of 2020! XOXO!
今天是10月4號，也是中秋連假的最後一天，不知不覺中邪的2020年就要過了！時尚高潮的團隊祝大家中秋節平安快樂！