康州柴米、紐約走跳

對中秋節的印象停留在小時候…不外乎是很容易焦掉的烤肉, 吃甜死人不償命的月餅, 吃老媽說很甜其實我覺得很苦的柚子~
大人喝酒打牌大聲嚷嚷, 小朋友玩紅綠燈然後輸的把柚子戴在頭上被大家笑羞羞臉。
當時並不太明白大人們說什麼月圓人團圓, 王菲也還沒把鄧麗君的但願人長久翻唱的紅透半邊天, 所以印象中從沒認真在賞月, 一方面怕不小心指了月亮以後晚上耳朵會被割掉, 而且小孩子哪看的懂月亮美在哪, 再加上月亮常常喜歡耍矜持(or 自閉?)躲在雲後面, 我也只能很抱歉囉。

長大以後不知道已經有幾年沒過過中秋~因為家裡只剩我跟老媽兩人, 不太可能跑去烤肉。
當然了也不能跟朋友在巷口玩紅綠燈…那可是比在錢櫃唱歌叫囂吐在垃圾桶裡以後又打翻還瞎幾百倍, 也比半夜在誠品旁邊玩虎克船長和海帶拳丟臉太多 ~頂多就是到某人家的頂樓烤肉或是打牌唱歌玩低級遊戲直到被隔壁鄰居報警~

屬於中秋的記憶是一年比一年的模糊了。

出國後所有農曆的節日除了端午節(因為本小姐農曆生日是端午節, 所以老媽會提醒)其他幾乎都忘光了~反而老跟著老美過些聖派翠克節,復活節,萬聖節,馬丁路德金恩紀念日這一類不查典故還不知到為什麼今天放假的節日。

開始工作的第一年中秋, 為了要讓我的客戶們領略到中華文化之美, 上網找了一些跟中秋節有關的習俗, 典故跟照片, 做了一小份文宣外加兩個蛋黃酥送禮~~突然懷念起小時候那種無憂無慮, 大家一起烤肉吃月餅賞月聊天的情景…

團圓阿~~

那麼, 今年的中秋剛好我們有了有小後院的窩, 就邀請大家來我家一起烤肉賞月喝酒聊天唄

• 時間: 九月十七日星期六 (其實中秋節是9/18, 不過那天是星期天隔天要上班不能玩太晚)


• 烤肉: 暗時六點開始~~ 不過想早點來的, 甚至想星期五就上來掛單的, 或是當天想玩到盡興留宿, 星期天玩一玩再走的, 歡迎預約


• 地點: 紐約後花園康州高級避暑度假小木屋~~我家囉


• 計畫: 烤肉賞月吃月餅聊天喝酒打牌看VCD玩真心話大冒險~~


• 裝備: 隨性, 不過請把握不要嚇到主辦人之原則


• 注意事項: 本次活動風格為溫馨家庭小品. 非聯誼路線, 請居心不良仁人君子切勿抱過高期望 (譯者按: 不一定有妹的意思啦~~)


• 報名: 請電漿糊或水泥, 歡迎攜伴參加但請先預告人數, 以方便準備食物, 甘溫


• 附註: 現場備有烤肉葡萄酒及果汁可樂, 歡迎善心人士提供月餅柚子麻將啤酒烈酒五糧液等


• 特別說明: 我家水泥最愛綠豆凸跟蛋黃酥~~


• 如有未盡事宜, 電話或留言連絡囉~~


• 備註: 麻煩不來的朋友 (尤其在台灣的~)要留言亂的話, 請留好笑一點的~~3Q

有關於中秋節~~

• 算法 :

中秋節，俗稱八月半，也叫月節。中秋有二種算法，一是據四季算，因四季之中，七、八、九 為秋，八月十五居秋季之中，故稱中秋；另一種算法則據節氣，按照二十四節氣，一季共六個節氣，秋季的六節氣分別是立秋、處暑、百露、秋分、寒露、霜降，而 秋分則是秋季之中，此時正是秋糧收割之際，一年污水拋散土地上，收穫在即，因此，家家拜祀土地神，答謝神的保佑，於是出現一系列儀式和風尚活動，此外加上 我國古代即有拜月習俗，因此由祭月、拜月逐步演化出賞月之風。

• 習俗:

一、拜月: 這天除了月神生日外，也是土地公生日，拜月、祭土地為中秋的祭祀活動，古人以為月亮屬陰，為女性象徵，所以稱太陰祭，古諺說：「男不拜月、女不祭灶。」婦人拜月，祈求月神福祐全家團圓吉祥。至於祭土地神，則具有勸農的功能。土地公廟要演戲酬神，農夫們會在田裡插「土地公拐杖」，祈求來年的豐收。

二、走月亮: 走月亮—中秋夜晚，秋高氣爽，又明月當空，大家喜歡到郊外走走，散步賞月，盡興而歸，故俗稱「踏月」或「走月亮」。

三、偷瓜菜: 偷瓜菜—又 稱摸秋或偷秋，這是未婚男女在中秋夜玩的遊戲。在中秋月，趁著月色皎潔，到田野去偷摘別人家菜圃的瓜果蔬菜，看摘的多寡好壞，來測定偷瓜菜者的天資好、壞 和健康、運氣如何。如果未婚少女偷得蔥或青菜，表示她們快找到如意郎君了。所以訝語：「偷得蔥，嫁好尪（丈夫）；偷得菜，嫁好婿。」

四、吃月餅: 月餅也叫「團圓餅」，中秋節吃月餅，有以圓圓的月餅來象徵團圓之意，天上的月亮也是圓的、月餅也是圓的，親人怎可不團圓共賀佳節呢？所以在外地謀生的人，總要趕回家過中秋節，吃團圓餅；如果有人未歸，也要把他的一份月餅留著，等他回來過年時吃。
月餅是中秋祭月和拜土地公的必備祭品。而中秋節吃月餅的習俗，是由元朝末年流傳下來的。
相傳當時中原人不甘受蒙古人的統治，有志之士皆思起義抗元，然欲整合反抗的力量，卻苦於無從傳遞消息，所以劉伯溫便想一計策，散佈將有瘟疫的流言，要人們於中秋節買月餅來吃以避禍。大家買了月餅回家後切開一看，裏面藏了紙條寫著「八月十五夜起義」，於是民眾紛紛響應，因而一舉推翻元朝。
另一個說法是要避災者可於八月十五日懸掛日月旗，旗將藏於大月餅中。到了這天，各地民眾都切大月餅，將其中所藏的旗都掛起來，元人看了大吃一驚，朱洪武就一擊成功，結束了元朝的統治。後來，這種日月旗就是「明」旗。

五、吃柚子: 柚子與「佑子」的諧音，含有吉祥之意，中秋節前後又適逢盛產期，柚子便成了中秋節的應節食物。柚子因為水土的關係，以麻豆文旦最著名。

• 民間故事:

「嫦娥奔月」: 相傳遠古時，有十個太陽一起升空，烤焦了所有莊稼草木，使民不聊生。后羿為救助百姓，用弓箭射下九個太陽，還除掉大地上的毒蛇猛獸，人們才得安居樂業。不料，被射落九個的太陽皆是天帝之子，天帝便十分惱怒地將后羿和妻子嫦娥貶入凡間。西王母很同情后羿的遭遇，就把長生不老藥送給他，但嫦娥起了私心，一個人偷偷吞服，身體竟輕飄上天。然而，嫦娥怕到天庭會受到眾仙取笑，只好奔往月亮，成了廣寒宮主~月神娘娘。嫦娥奔月的當天，據說就是八月十五日，於是後人便在每年的八月十五日祭月。
民間傳說，月神常化身為月華，降身人間賜福。所以情人熱戀時會在月下盟誓定情，失散的戀人也會拜求月亮祈團圓。

「吳剛伐桂」: 相傳吳剛在凡間本為樵夫，醉心於仙道，但始終不肯專心學習，因此天帝震怒，把他居留在月宮，並說：「如果你砍倒桂樹，就可獲仙術。」但吳剛每砍完一段時間，桂樹便會自動癒合，日復一日，吳剛伐桂的願望仍未達成，而他也不斷的砍下去。

「玉兔搗藥」: 相傳有三位神仙變成三個可憐的老人，向狐狸、猴子、兔子求食，狐狸與猴子都有食物可以濟助，唯有兔子束手無策。後來兔子說：「你們吃我的肉吧！」就躍入烈火中，將自己燒熟，神仙大受感動，把兔子送到月宮內，成了玉兔。

• 烤肉: 至於為什麼會烤肉咧~~網路上查不到, 我猜大概是因為總不能整個晚上吃月餅跟柚子 …

第一月餅吃太多太油膩, 像我不喜歡吃甜食就吃不多, 但是水泥很喜歡吃就可以連嗑N個, 不阻止他停不下來, 所以要是我家買了一打月餅, 大概會造成我吃ㄧ個應景然後他把剩下的11個嗑光的悽慘後果~這樣不但對身體不好還會肥死~~

第二是柚子雖然一點都不油膩, 一樣也不可以吃太多, 因為傷胃~ 而且柚子每到中秋真是嚇死人的貴

第三月亮其實不可能賞整晚, 偏偏又規定要全家團圓, 所以就得找點事情做又可填飽肚子吧 (跟過年團圓要煮火鍋吃, 元宵節團員要煮湯圓吃類似的意思吧 ~~)

英文版本~~

• Enjoying the wind and moon together - Mid-Autumn Festival

The clear and radiant moon has been a subject of Chinese poetry and song since ancient times. And the moonlight of Mid-Autumn Festival brings particular warmth and ease to the hearts of the people of China. This festival is said to have originated from the ancient ceremony of Sacrificing to the Moon Goddess. When that ceremony was later combined with the Legend of Eating Mooncakes, Mid-Autumn Festival grew in the popular consciousness to become the major occasion that it is today.

"When the moon is full, mankind is one" -- In China, the full moon has always represented the gatherings of friends and family. Thus, Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family reunions. On this night, families will go together to scenic spots and parks for moon appreciation parties, eating mooncakes and pomeloes in the cool night air and praying for a safe year. This festival has been made even more lively by the three legends of Chand-O Flees to the Moon, Wu Kang Chops Down the Cassia Tree, and the Jade Rabbit Grinds Medicine.

• The Legend of Eating Mooncakes
  

Mooncakes symbolize the gathering of friends and family and are an indispensable part of the offerings made to the Earth God, Tu Ti Kung. According to popular belief, the custom of eating mooncakes began in the late Yuan dynasty. As the story goes, the Han people of that time resented the Mongol rule of the Yuan Dynasty and revolutionaries, led by Chu Yuan-chang, plotted to usurp the throne. Chu needed to find a way of uniting the people to revolt on the same day without letting the Mongol rulers learn of the plan. Chu's close advisor, Liu Po-wen, finally came up with a brilliant idea. A rumor was spread that a plague was ravaging the land and that only by eating a special mooncake distributed by the revolutionaries could the disaster be prevented. The mooncakes were then distributed only to the Han people, who found, upon cutting the cakes open, the message "Revolt on the fifteenth of the eighth moon." Thus informed, the people rose together on the designated day to overthrow the Yuan, and since that time mooncakes have become an integral part of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

• Pomelo Fruit
  

In Chinese the word for pomelo is homophonous with that for "blessing," and thus the fruit is considered auspicious. Since pomelo season coincides with Mid-Autumn Festival, this sweet fruit has naturally become a part of the festivities.

The most famous type of pomelo grown in Formosa is Matou wen-tan, which is cultivated in the rich soil and pure mountain air of Matou.

• Chang-O Flees to the Moon
  

According to a famous Chinese legend, the sky was originally lit by ten suns, whose combined heat scorched the earth and crops so that the people had nothing to eat. To save the world from imminent starvation China's most famous archer, Hou Yi, shot down nine of the suns with his bow and then rid the land of poisonous snakes and beasts so people could live in peace and happiness.

Unfortunately for Hou Yi, these ten suns turned out to be the sons of the Jade Emperor, who was so angered by the loss of his sons, that he banished the archer together with his wife, Chang O, and children from the face of the earth. When the Western Goddess discovered what had happened, she took pity on Hou Yi, giving him an elixir of immortality. But Chang O greedily swallowed the potion by herself and as the concoction worked through her body she became lighter and lighter and floated up into the sky. Fearing that the deities in heaven would laugh at her, she took refuge on the moon, building there a palace known as the "Cold Palace," where she lives to this very day as the Lady of the Moon. Since it is believed that Chang O floated to the moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, people offer annual prayer and sacrifices to the moon on that day to commemorate the event.

It is said that Chang O transforms herself into brilliant moonlight and descends to earth to offer good fortune. Thus, couples to swear their mutual love under the full moon and separated lovers to pray to the for reunion under the full moon.

• Wu Kang Chops Down the Cassia Tree

If you look carefully at the dark shadows on the full moon, you may be able to see Wu Kang chopping down a cassia tree.

In Chinese mythology, Wu Kang is portrayed as a woodcutter fascinated with the magic of immortality. Angered by his hubris, the gods banished Wu Kang to the Moon Palace telling him that he must cut down a huge cassia tree before he could return to earth. Though he chopped day and night, the magical tree restored itself with each blow, and thus he continues to eternally chop the cassia on the barren moon.

• The Jade Rabbit Grinds Medicine

In this legend, three sages transformed themselves into pitiful old men and begged for something to eat from a fox, a monkey and a rabbit. The fox and the monkey both had food to give to the old men, but the rabbit, empty-handed, offered his own flesh instead, jumping into a blazing fire to cook himself. The fairies were so touched by the rabbit's sacrifice that they let him live in the Moon Palace where he became the "Jade Rabbit."

• The Earth God
  

Formally called Fu-teh Cheng-shen (the deity of fortune, morals, and righteous deity), the Earth God was originally known as She-shen (village deity), since he watches over matters concerning farming and society. Of all the gods, he is perhaps the most intimately connected with the daily lives of the people in Taiwan. The countless temples and shrines dedicated to the Earth God around the island show the degree to which the people rely on his protective power.