Today (5 May of the lunar calendar) is the Dumpling Festival or Duan Vu Jie. Some even call it the Zongzi Festival or Dragon Boat Festival. For the first time, I received an sms greeting from a friend in KL especially for this occasion. This evening at about 3pm, another called to ask whether I am working half day in view of this festival. Anyway, our office worked as usual.
Somehow, I have the impression that this occasion Zong Festival is getting more and more "celebrated" or rather more and more commercialised.
My parents had in the past had family reunion dinner in four occasions yearly. CNY, Dumpling Festival, Moon Cake Festival and the Winter Solstice. These days, this is cut down to three with the Moon Cake Festival not in the list.
I used to wonder what exemplary deeds that this chap Qu Yuan had done in old China that Chinese all over the world (at least in Chinese-majority areas) still continue to commemorate this occasion till today. Didn't Confucius do more for the Chinese civilisation to deserve similar degree of remembrance?
As I see it, the simple fact is that no special food item was created to maintain the memory of Confucius like Zongzi for Qu Yuan and moon cake for the rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty.
As always for the Chinese and for that matter for most people, it is food that is more important than whatever great deeds that one has accomplished!
Of course, there is an exception, the lasting impact of Jesus somehow is not related to any particular food !
Somehow, I have the impression that this occasion Zong Festival is getting more and more "celebrated" or rather more and more commercialised.
My parents had in the past had family reunion dinner in four occasions yearly. CNY, Dumpling Festival, Moon Cake Festival and the Winter Solstice. These days, this is cut down to three with the Moon Cake Festival not in the list.
I used to wonder what exemplary deeds that this chap Qu Yuan had done in old China that Chinese all over the world (at least in Chinese-majority areas) still continue to commemorate this occasion till today. Didn't Confucius do more for the Chinese civilisation to deserve similar degree of remembrance?
As I see it, the simple fact is that no special food item was created to maintain the memory of Confucius like Zongzi for Qu Yuan and moon cake for the rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty.
As always for the Chinese and for that matter for most people, it is food that is more important than whatever great deeds that one has accomplished!
Of course, there is an exception, the lasting impact of Jesus somehow is not related to any particular food !
1 comment:
food... maybe not. but water into wine. yes!
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