WeCare Blog: October 2004

MOONCAKE FESTIVAL PARTY IN CPS ON 18 SEPTEMBER 2004

MOONCAKE FESTIVAL

“ A WHOLE NEW MEANING “

The Mid-Autumn or Mooncake Festival falls on the 15^th day of the Chinese eighth month and is celebrated to signify the end of the harvest season. As it is associated with paper lanterns, it is also called the Lantern Festival.

Back during the Soong dynasty when the Chinese were oppressed by the Mongols, their rebel leaders sought to overthrow the Mongol overlords. As meetings were banned it was impossible to make plans. Liu Fu Tong of the Anhui Province came up with a plan by requesting permission to distribute cakes to his friends to bless the longevity of the Mongol emperor. He made thousands of cakes shaped like the moon and stuffed with sweet fillings. Inside each cake however was placed a piece of paper with the message: ‘Rise against the Tartars on the 15^th day of the 8^th Moon’. Reading the message, the people rose against the Mongols on a local scale. This rebellion enabled Chu Hung Wu, another rebel leader to eventually overthrow the Mongols. In 1368, he established the Ming dynasty and ruled under the name of Emperor Tai Tsu. Henceforth, the Mid Autumn Festival was celebrated with mooncakes on a national level.

In Malaysia, the Chinese celebrate the festival with family gatherings, prayers, mooncakes and lantern parades by children. Weeks before the festival, Chinese families present gifts of mooncakes to friends and senior relatives to foster better ties with them.

On the 15^th night when the moon is shining its brightest, offerings of mooncakes, deep fried chicken, roasted pork, water calthrops, yam, water melon seeds and Chinese tea are made to deities and ancestors, on the praying altar. Lighted lanterns are also hung conspicuously in front of homes. Prayers are offered with the customary lighting of joss-sticks, red candles and golden joss-paper are burnt. After prayers, there is feasting and merry-making with children carrying lighted lanterns around the neighborhood.

This year’s Mooncake Festival marks a whole new meaning for us at WeCare because instead of celebrating it for the above traditional reasons, we decided to share the happy occasion with 30 children from the Children’s Protection Society in Penang ……. The Children’s Protection Society (CPS) is the brainchild of Dato’ Nazir Ariff and it was launched in April 1992. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization and its raison d’être is catering to the needs of neglected, or abused, or abandoned children, regardless of their race, colour, or creed.

Planning for this party brought back many childhood memories for us. Preparation wise, we were each allocated a task and we spent quite a fair bit of time learning dance steps to teach the children. Reflecting back, I think we were more excited about the Mooncake Party than the children at the Home. Our Mooncake party consists of food, music, games, telematch and a large number of presents for the children.

The children loved to dance and they were very happy just dancing the night away. Listening to their laughter and looking at their adorable faces left us wondering why these innocent children are subjected to violence and abuse from their family members. It is painful, that instead of gentleness and care that children in families should get, they are beaten, burned, mutilated psychologically, they experience physical and mental pushing away and loneliness.

Violence and abuse against children may never stop but we must not stop trying to eliminate them and speaking out against them or believing that we can build a world without violence for our children. Violence may rear its ugly head over and over again but we must never condone it, praise it, glorify it, spread it, or cease trying to rid it of our minds, hearts and communities. Violence and abuse against children may have always been with us but we can decrease their numbers and their sufferings through acts of kindness, acts of affection and acts of love. Hence, society must never lose hope and faith or doubt that change is possible.

That night, though we were only a handful but together we made a difference in the lives of these children. I believe we showed these children that there is still love, hope and kindness in this world. Most importantly, through these children, we learnt a very valuable lesson that night ……. “We learned that widening our circle of compassion, embracing all living beings and all of nature unconditionally, without concern for what comes back to us personally is infinitely more meaningful than what we have accumulated materially.”

At the end of the party, every single one of us went back home knowing that these children may forget what has been spoken and they may forget what has been done, but they will never forget how we made them feel !! That night, not only did we touch someone’s life but we enrich our own, just by a very simple act of compassion.

Generally, society today as a whole has become less compassionate but I have had the opportunity to know a handful of people who are continuously striving to be as compassionate as they can and working with what they have.

Here are some of the most giving and compassionate people I know and I am so blessed to know them. Without Soo Aun, Teoh, Suan Bee, Yeoh, Khaw, Siew Ling, Tan & Pey San, our Mooncake Party would not have been such a huge success.

Last but not least, we at “WeCare” would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the following sponsors who have helped us made this event possible:

Gooi Mong Ling; Tan Chuan Hock; Serene Koay & Terrence Ng; Lena Oh; Yap Chia Lin; Ng Kim Seok; Tan Peng Gaik; Alice Toh; Chew Hooi Nee; Yeap Hooi Kean; Oon Hooi Kee; Natalie Chow; Ho Chok Yong; Nelson Chuah Ban Lee; Fong Hoe Kheang; Teoh Hung Yit; Teoh Hooi Nee; Thum Teck Wei; Koay Saw Hoon; Hoe Bee Choo; Kang Guat Chuan; Khaw Hooi Hooi; Chau Piak Hooi; Chew Siew Kim; Ang Peng Choo; Lau C Hun; Julie Tan; Yeoh Geok Chye; Yeoh Chun Bin; Ong Tze En; Lim Pein Ling

Children's Protection Society
118A, Scotland Road
10450 Penang, Malaysia
Tel/Fax : 6-04-8294046
Email : cpspg@hotmail.com

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