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“ Childhood is the most beautiful of all Life's seasons.” ~ Author Unknown
Greetings from Phu Ben!
Vietnam tops the list on the ‘Happiness’ scale, second
only to Costa Rica. Yes, it is a country that thinks
progressively and works tirelessly towards a happy and
developed future. Relationships and family ties are very strong.
Respecting the elders and indulging the children comes
naturally to everyone.The two festivals that are looked forward
to by the whole nation – Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnamese New
Year) and Tet Trung Thu (Moon Festival) – reiterate these
sentiments.
I found the thought
behind celebrating the
Moon Festival really
endearing. Work in the
fields during the harvest
season keeps the elders
busy and exhausted,
leaving them with little time for their children. People also
believe that children are innocent and pure, and thus are
the closest connection to the sacred and natural world.
On 15 August (Lunar calendar) the Moon Festival, also known
as the Mid-Autumn Festival, is celebrated to rejoice after a
good harvest and to let the children have all the fun possible to
make up for the previous busy months. Along with expressing
their affection, parents also try to impart knowledge of the
history and culture of Vietnam.There are three popular folktales
associated with the festival – the legends of Hang Nga (Moon
Fairy), Cuoi (the Man in the Moon) and Ca Chep Hoa Rong
(the Carp who transformed into a Dragon).
With the help of these stories parents instill in their children’s
hearts, good values and a sense of patriotism and love for the
nation. Each household makes offerings to the God of Earth.
Phu Tho Province has decided to celebrate Children’s Day too
on this day.
The festivities begin with the Dragon or Lion Dance; and the
legends of Ca Chep Hoa Rong, Hang Nga and Coui are
enacted. Children in fancy new clothes are seen out on the
streets, singing and dancing to popular songs about the moon,
stars and cakes.They carry colourful lanterns in different shapes
and sizes; some of the popular shapes are fish, stars and
butterflies. Another interesting one spins when a candle is
inserted, representing the Earth circling the Sun. Lantern fairs
are held throughout Vietnam. According to legend, an evil spirit
took on human form and killed people at night. A mythological
hero figured out a way of getting rid of the spirit by putting up
lanterns throughout the village. Children carrying lanterns
during the festivity is symbolic; they hope to exorcise any evil
spirit around.The cultural programme is followed by games that
are enjoyed by both the participating children and the indulgent
spectators! It ends with a moon cake and candy feast. It is
customary to gift each other ‘Banh Trung Thu’ (moon cakes).
These are rich in taste; filled with lotus seeds, ground beans and
orange peel. A bright yolk in the center represents the moon!
At Phu Ben, the Moon Festival is organized by the Youth
Union and the Trade Union of every plantation (44 sections)
and factory as well as the Head Office.The show is put together
with a lot of enthusiasm, taking great care to ensure that the
spirit and traditional activities associated with the festival are
kept alive and enjoyed by all.
After all, children are special and the future of every nation!
N ine evil spirits in the form of crows lived deep
in the forest and terrorized the villagers. Any
attempt to chase them away often ended in the
death of the villager, but Hau Nghe, a handsome
hunter, decided to kill them. One day, as Hau Nghe
gazed up at the moon which shone brighter than
ever before, a majestic palace appeared from which
the beautiful Moon Fairy, Hang Nga, flew down to
earth on a moonbeam, landing near him.
She advised him to shoot the crows’ wings and then
bury them with their wings and feet tied. A banyan
tree was planted over them and Hang Nga sealed
the crows with a charm written on a long strip of
red paper that she pasted on the base of the tree.
She married Hau Nghe and they lived happily in
his humble home. In time they were blessed with a
baby girl whom they named Ngoc Tho ( Jade
Rabbit).
One night a terrible flash of lightening destroyed
the banyan tree and a gust of wind carried away the
charm, setting the crows free. Transformed into fire
crows they scorched and parched the earth causing
drought, famine and death. Filled with grief, Hau
Nghe vowed to destroy them. However, after he
became King at the behest of the Chief Mandarins,
greed and self-importance overtook all his good
intentions and he brought great suffering and even
death to his subjects, ignoring Hang Nga’s good
advice and pleas. When he was ready to sacrifice all
the kingdom’s children including his own for further
riches and glory, Hang Nga gathered Ngoc Tho into
her arms and flew back to her palace in the Moon.
Cuoi was a lumberjack
whose only possession was
his axe. One day, during his
trip into the forest, he
accidentally chanced upon a
banyan tree with magical
properties. If chewed, its leaves
could cure any illness and even
breathe life into the dead. Cuoi
carried the tree back with him
and took great care of it, using
the leaves wisely to help people
back to life. Unfortunately,
Cuoi’s wife got angry because
he seemed to love the tree
more than her, so one day,
when Cuoi was out treating a
sick neighbour, she desecrated
the tree, which compelled it to
leave the ground. Her husband
returned at that very moment
and saw the tree fly up to the
sky. He tried to grab its roots
but failed and was taken up to
the moon, where he still lives
with his tree.
Every year children light
lanterns and take part in
processions on the day of the
Moon Festival to show Cuoi
the way back to Earth.
When Heaven ran out of dragons,
the Jade Emperor was obliged
to make new ones, so he organized a
contest among aquatic animals. As
obstacles, he gave them three ‘gates of
rain’ (waterfalls) to jump over.Those
who could leap over all three ‘gates’
would be granted dragon status.
The Tilapia only cleared the first ‘gate’
and was rewarded with a black dot on
its side.The Catfish passed the first
level but hit its head against the second
‘gate’, which flattened its shape; he was
compensated with dragon-like whiskers.
Next, the Shrimp overcame two ‘gates’
but stumbled and was crippled; its
organs surged to its head, which is why
shrimps now have a curved shape and
move backwards! It was rewarded with
the look of a small dragon.
The Carp worked hard throughout the
year until he was able to jump over all
three ‘gates of rain’ and be transformed
into a Dragon.This is the story behind
the mythical symbol, Ca Chep Hoa
Rong (Carps Transforming to
Dragons). Parents use this story to
encourage their children to work hard
so that they can become whatever they
want to be, and the Dragon/Lion
dance comes from this legend.
18 JANUARY 2015
Moon Festival
LEGEND OF THE
MOON FAIRY
THE CARP
WHO BECAME
A DRAGON
THE MAN IN
THE MOON
~ Sakina Hussain
Phu Ben, Vietnam
JANUARY 2015 19
Dragon/Lion Dance
Moon Festival Celebrations at Phu Ben