Mid-Autumn Festival

This festival was brought down from generation to generation from China. We of course in Malaysia, does not have four seasons. However, we still celebrate this festival by eating moon cake, which cost a bomb now a days and all sugar and calories, and playing lanterns.

When I was very young, to me, this festival was all about lanterns and playing with fire. Every year grandma would buy me and my sister a lantern each, just like the one above. We would parade around the neighborhood with the neighbors children showing of our brightly lid lantern.

Once we reach home, we would fill the whole balcony with small candles and lid them one by one. This is the time when we were allowed to play with fire. The next day we had fun scrapping the wax off the floor.

We do this for days until the actual day. Once it was over, on the last day, my sister and I would normally burned the lanterns so that next year we would get new lanterns. If not the existing lantern will be folded properly and kept for next year. We sure were cunning then.

My father-in-law made hubby a tin lantern when he was young. It comes with wheels too. He would cut vertical lines on the tin so that lights can appear on the outside when lid. Nothing fancy but D.I.Y lantern is priceless.

My sons however, when they were toddlers we got them plastic battery operated lanterns that comes with songs and blinking lights. Until they are much older and were allowed to play with fire, we brought them the paper lantern.

How time flies. All my nieces, nephews and my sons are all grown up and no one to play lantern around the house anymore. Now a days we just eat moon cakes and watch t.v on that day. Kinda missed those days, playing with fire, lid candles every where, make bonfire out of dry leaves and candles and sing songs and play games around it.

Those were the days. Thanks for reading and hope you have a great day.