I have just started reading a wonderful book ...
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T.Kiyosaki and Sharon l.Lechter
Though I have only read a few chapters, this book had given me tremendous insights. The stuffs on making money, and the important mindset when finding a job and livelihood.
I will further comment on this after I have read finish the book.
:).
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(Added-on on Fri, 23/12/2005, 1532 hrs)
Anyway, yesterday, Winter Solstice festival or Dong Zhi Festival. Got to eat Glutinous Riceball or Dang Yuan ...
This festival is to celebrate the starting of the Winter. There is actually a history and significances of this festival.
One is as to the start of winter signifies the ending of the crops, and that it is extremely important in ensuring there is always storages of food for the winter or "rainy days". Another significance is that winter signifies the end of the year, and this actually herald the start of the new year, and that everyone will have grown one year older, supposedly being more mature.
Above is the modern context of the festival, for those who have celebrated. However, there is a further significance in this festival ...
Many people think that Dong Zhi means the "arrival of winter". In fact, what Dong Zhi means is that after this day the sunshine will decline. In the northern hemisphere, the day is the shortest during Dong Zhi. In the southern hemisphere, it is the reverse. (Read on the Geographical location and Earth revolution to see this fact)
During the New Year, everybody would make visits. In olden times, during Dong Zhi, the people do make visits too (Unlike today). Some people would offer incense at dawn and some businesses would take a break on that day. People would feast on delicacies and the atmosphere would be like the Chinese New Year. In China, because the onset of the winter was cold and medical science was not that advanced in the past, many people froze to death during this period. As a result, on this day people would gather together to eat Tang Yuan (Gultinous Flour balls or Rice balls). Yuan means round and is associated with Tuan which means reunion and Yuan (Other than round, it also means complete). Eating Tang Yuan is therefore symbolic of family unity and harmony.
In the past, Dong Zhi is treated as a big event as the Lunar New Year.
The history of this festival including the food for Dong Zhi is less well-known compare to its significance. The history is actually of discrimination, for both of job and sex.
The source of the story and the history comes from a book I have researched on, the Origins of Chinese Festivals.
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In a dynasty of the past,during the start of the winter which symbolises the beginning of the end of the year, the emperor decides to confer titles on every sectors in the palace that have made contributions. All the sectors from Artisans to Carpenters are been bestowed with titles except for the cookery section. The cookery section is headed by two females. The females take this issue up to the emperor, and the artisans and the carpenters commented that if a cook is made a master, then the title of the master will not be worth much. The female cooks are enraged, and they decide not to cook for the day.
After a hard day, all the carpenters and the artisans come back from work, feeling famished. Yet, they realise there are no foods on the table. Obviously, all the blacksmiths and the others are only experts in their own field, and they are powerless in front of the baskets of raw grains and vegetables. The others report to the emperor.
In the face of emperor, do they agree that cooking is a specialised skills and that it is equally important in contribution. Therefore, the emperor confer both titles on the two female cooks.
As there is not much time to cook big food, the female cooks decide to make glutinous rice flour balls, won ton, dumplings and red bean porridge for everyone.
And since then, these foods have become staples of the people in the south during Dong Zhi.
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(Other than the festival of Dong Zhi, there is also the festivals of Yuan Xiao, that people eat Glutinous Rice Flour Balls. I will touch on that in the future and on the 15th days of the Chinese New Year, since that is the day of Yuan Xiao.)
Anyway, from this story, and base on pragmatic views, you can see a certain discrimination exists long long ago, starting from the past. Unfortunately, to this day, some discrimination still occurs. Discrimination of sexes, jobs and even races and religions. Alas, like the above episode, if people finally acknowledge each other, then there will be mutual balance and understanding and that everything will be at peace ...
I do want to dwell further into the obseravation of the dwindling number of people in celebrating festivals. All these festivals including Chinese New Year is not religious by nature, thus even the increasing Christianity does not mean that the Christians Chinese especially, cannot celebrate these festivals. This simply shows how lazy people can become and that money distracts everything that is rather important like family and unity. Even Buddists and Taoists majority do not care about this events at all. So, it seems rather it is the attitude that cause the demise of festivals rather than races and religions. Anyway, it should be the parents who have the responsibility to uphold all the positive traditions and festivals. But nowaday, even many parents especially the working class who do not take the heck out of any festivals. I can only shake my head. I can only cringe when I hear people saying all these festivals are not that important.
Anyway, I will be thinking about all these, and offering suggestions in my next entry ...
Happy Dong Zhi Festival !!!
