CHINESE FESTIVAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3580, 1 October 1879, Page 2

CHINESE FESTIVAL.

The "Miskefc," a festival annually celebrated in China in honour of the "Birth-day of the Moon," was duly observed yestorday at tlie establishment of Messrs Clung Won and Ching George market gardenors, St Albans. This, which is tho chief among the Chinese minor festivals, and second only to tho great festival held in honour of the New Year, is dividod into two. part 9,. the first commencing with a religious ceremony, and ending with a feast, being set apart sololy for the use of mon j the second, which begins immediately on tho termination of fche first, being devoted to the delectation of the juveniles.

Shortly after half -paßt seven o'clock, the discharge of upwards of 500 crackers and other fireworks, announced that tho festival had begun. The religious ceremonies, which consisted of the burning of silver paper, the lighting of perfumed rushes, called torchlights, and pouring libations of brandy on the ground, with the offering up of prayers for temporal prosperity, combined with a vatiety of genuflexions and prostrations followed, and theßo were succeeded by the feast which was composed of boiled ducks and fowls and pork wifch rice and vogetablos in season, together with a very small portion of brandy served in minute cups of rare old china. The most remarkable feature was tho "moon cakes." Theso are made of wheaten flour, mingled with candied cocoanut, almonds, a variety of preserved fruit and nut oil ; they aro round, of about 3in diameter and lin thick, are each stamped with an image of a full moon, and are of an agreeable flavour. The men's feast lasted about three-quarters of an hour, and then tho children's festival commenced. Last night this consisted of placing a number of " moon cakes " upon a table out of doors and surrounding fchem with lighted coloured tapers and perfumed rushes (torches), and was over in less than a quarter of an hour, simply becauso there were no children to take part in it. In China, howover, tho children are feasted the samo as tbe men, and fche noise fchey make in invoking tho moon to descend and partake of tho delicacies provided for her is described as something deafening and is continued far into tho night. It may be as well to mention that the " Misket " is always held when the moon is at full.