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Kolkata's Chinese community celebrates Moon Festival

     Kolkata: Kolkata's Chinese community is celebrating their traditional Moon Festival, which is also known as the Mid- Autumn Festival according to their traditional rituals. The festival is dedicated to Chinese children, and elders prepare moon cakes on the occasion. "We usually make moon cakes and we celebrate at night. We do some small Puja at home. We offer to our ancestors. Then the children play with their Chinese lanterns and today all the small Chinese children come to the school and they perform. Some dance, some sing and take part in cultural programs," said Dorety Yung, one of the Chinese celebrating the event. The festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth moon, when the moon is at its brightest. Dressed in traditional attires small children took part in various activities. Interestingly, some danced to popular Bollywood tunes too. While there is a mythological background to the festival, it also throws light on the natives' revolt against the Mongol rule in the country.

    The festival celebrates an uprising when China came under Mongolian rule in AD 1280-1368. Chinese subjects plotted a rebellion to be carried out on the 15th day of the Eighth Lunar Moon. Secret messages were stuffed into moon cakes so that word could be passed around Chinese patriots without the knowledge of the Mongolian rulers. On the night of the full moon, the Chinese rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the Mongolian government. "Well, actually there are two stories on it. One is for children where there is a baby and she gets abandoned. She is a heavenly lady and wants to return home. So, she eats a pill and by mistake and it gets stuck there. So, we just see the moon, see the lady. That's for children. And then, there is slightly a political reason. When there was an uprising in China against Mongol rule. That is the time when they use to send secret messages in cakes," said Robert, the secretary of the Indian-Chinese Association. The celebration is traditionally highlighted with a religious ceremony given in honour of Heaven and Earth, the gods of the household and the family ancestors. Nearly every Chinese household makes moon cakes which is cut by the head of the family just before the family dinner.
-Oct 7, 2006