Jillian & Alexa on the castle
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Moon Festival
Today we attended the Orlando Moon Festival, a culteral event for Kaeli's Chinese heritage.
Here is some brief history on the Chinese holiday. It did not feel like autumn in Orlando (upper 90's!!)!!
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festivity for both the Han and minority nationalities. The custom of worshipping the moon (called xi yue in Chinese) can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.). In the Zhou Dynasty(1066 B.C.-221 B.C.), people hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival sets in. It becomes very prevalent in the Tang Dynasty(618-907 A.D.) that people enjoy and worship the full moon. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.), however, people send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion. When it becomes dark, they look up at the full silver moon or go sightseeing on lakes to celebrate the festival. Since the Ming (1368-1644 A.D. ) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911A.D.), the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival celebration becomes unprecedented popular. Together with the celebration there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers and fire dragon dances. However, the custom of playing under the moon is not so popular as it used to be nowadays, but it is not less popular to enjoy the bright silver moon. Whenever the festival sets in, people will look up at the full silver moon, drinking wine to celebrate their happy life or thinking of their relatives and friends far from home, and extending all of their best wishes to them.
Here is some brief history on the Chinese holiday. It did not feel like autumn in Orlando (upper 90's!!)!!
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festivity for both the Han and minority nationalities. The custom of worshipping the moon (called xi yue in Chinese) can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia and Shang Dynasties (2000 B.C.-1066 B.C.). In the Zhou Dynasty(1066 B.C.-221 B.C.), people hold ceremonies to greet winter and worship the moon whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival sets in. It becomes very prevalent in the Tang Dynasty(618-907 A.D.) that people enjoy and worship the full moon. In the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 A.D.), however, people send round moon cakes to their relatives as gifts in expression of their best wishes of family reunion. When it becomes dark, they look up at the full silver moon or go sightseeing on lakes to celebrate the festival. Since the Ming (1368-1644 A.D. ) and Qing Dynasties (1644-1911A.D.), the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival celebration becomes unprecedented popular. Together with the celebration there appear some special customs in different parts of the country, such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting lanterns on towers and fire dragon dances. However, the custom of playing under the moon is not so popular as it used to be nowadays, but it is not less popular to enjoy the bright silver moon. Whenever the festival sets in, people will look up at the full silver moon, drinking wine to celebrate their happy life or thinking of their relatives and friends far from home, and extending all of their best wishes to them.
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Monday, September 12, 2005
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Not so little anymore!!!
Today, 9/6/05, marks 9 months since we received our precious child! She will turn 22 months on Thursday, which means, time has certainly gone by too quickly! She looks so grown up now when I look at the first pictures we took of her.
We are attempting to move her into a toddler bed, which made yesterday a little sad for mommy. I realize now that she is growing up too fast and it's completely out of my control! She still learns new things everyday and amazes me. She has also become quite the daredevil! She has very little fear, unless it involves bedtime!! HAHAHA!!!
For those of you that haven't met her, we hope you will soon, we fear she'll be asking for money and car keys before we know it! hahaha!
We are attempting to move her into a toddler bed, which made yesterday a little sad for mommy. I realize now that she is growing up too fast and it's completely out of my control! She still learns new things everyday and amazes me. She has also become quite the daredevil! She has very little fear, unless it involves bedtime!! HAHAHA!!!
For those of you that haven't met her, we hope you will soon, we fear she'll be asking for money and car keys before we know it! hahaha!
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