Happy Mid-Autumn!!~

In case some of us who are not aware of the festive season, well, it is the Mid-Autumn festival (aka Mooncake/Lantern Festival) this weekend =)

My family is not in the tradition of observing this festival or celebrating it on a large scale; but rather, I do have some fond memories of this festival during my childhood as well.

This festival is known as the Lantern festival to us; well, mainly because we looked forward to bringing out our lanterns from the store and lighting them with candles which Daddy will usually buy from the shop.
I think we start playing with the lanterns for a week or so prior to the festival or when we see our neighbors playing with them (what do we know about Chinese/Lunar calendar dates =P)

Anyway, I don't recall having much mooncakes, well, for one, I personally dislike or hate the taste and smell of mooncakes. Yeah, I am weird, I don't really like sweet stuffs. I don't take those mooncakes and the only highlight of this festival was the lanterns and the strolls along the street/neighborhood at night with my brother and my Daddy for a few hours slightly before my bedtime.
I do know about the stories of the Moon Goddess and how the festival came about from books that I've read.
(I love legends, myths, fairytales, and stories of that sort =)

I think I've had less than 5 lanterns; mainly because I took really good care of each and every one of them and also because, I am pretty loyal to my belongings =)
The first one I've had was probably a battery-operated lantern bought by my aunt; it was some rabbit or Chinese lantern style I think.
Then I had a fish; that was the conventional lantern made of tightly-pulled wires with translucent color papers plastered over and given the features through some candle wax.
I had that for a few years until it was burnt in an accident by my neighbor who knocked it over.

I remembered crying over it; as it was very dear to me (well, all my belongings are dear to me anyway) and even though I got a new lantern, it wasn't the same sentiment I felt for the fish lantern I've had.
As I grew older, we do not play with the lanterns anymore, although we do hang some of those cute Japanese paper lanterns around the garden to create that festive atmosphere in the household.

Most of the Chinese festivals focus on the family gatherings/reunions or get-together. Mooncakes will be bought (not in large quantities) since the rest of my family enjoys them and that's about it.
We don't really need to organize any reunion dinners since we eat together as a family every night but now, as I am away from home, it's been rather hard to have family dinners on a daily basis.

I try to make it home to be with my family; be it festive season or not...and when it's festive season, all the better because it is really warm and enjoyable when you're not left out while everyone tells you about their celebrations =P

Anyway, enough of my stories, here's to a warm and Happy Mid-Autumn festival to you and your families =)