► Chinese Lore for Chinese-Hawaiian - 5: Lantern Festival

Honolulu Star Bulletin. Friday, February 8, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor  

     If your Chinese grandpa came to Hawaii from China, He probably celebrated the Lantern Festival held on the two days of the full moon of the first month (February 13 and 14 of 1957).

     The Lantern Festival is no the big event in Honolulu today that is in China, where it is  part of the 18 days of the Spring Festival.

     The Chinese pray for the "homeless spirits" during that festival in obedience to the instructions of the Lord Buddha to ask the Buddhas to intervene for the spirits of those ancestors who did not have the opportunity to hear his teachings.

     For Buddhists, this festival compares in importance with the Full Moon Festival of the seventh month which the Chinese call the Ghost Festival and the Japanese the Bon Festival.

     The Ghost Festival is held to welcome the spirits of the dead who are believed to come back to earth at that time.

     The Lantern Festival as it is celebrated in China may be Buddhist in origin,  but like all other great festivals,  it is confused with T'aoist mythology.

     In China a great parade is held on the evening of the 15th in honor of the moon goddess. The parade ends at her temple where the offerings are made in the belief that she will intercede for the ancestors.

     Chinese societies compete for honors in constructing beautiful floats lighted with rows of lanterns for the parade.

     They are built on a platform carried on the shoulders of 12 men. Outside the carriers are other men with torches made of woven bamboo wrapped about a burning rope.

     Chinese houses are decorated with lanterns within and without. Rich people have the lanterns arranged so that they twirl constantly.

     The streets are gay with people carrying lanterns in the shape of a hare or rabbit. Each rabbit lantern has pink eyes and is lighted with a candle from within which shines through the rabbit eyes.

     Some rabbit lanterns are carried; others are drawn about the streets by a string.

     The hare or rabbit is believed to be the spirit of the Moon Goddess as she appears on earth.

NEXT: Gift giving

► Chinese Lore for Chinese-Hawaiians - 4: Moon Worship

Honolulu Star Bulletin. Thurssday, February 7, 1957 - Tales about Hawaii, Clarice B. Taylor  

     It is impossible today to say "this" is correct or "that" is correct in speaking Chinese customs.

     The origins of many of these customs are lost in antiquity and there are many explanations given of them.

     For instance, the worship of the moon goddess on the first and the 

15th of the month.

     Scholars have several explanations which derive from old Chinese literature.

DECREED BY EMPEROR

     One literary source says the Moon Festival was decreed by the Emperor Ming of the East Han dynasty in 58 A.D. Another source says the festival is much older and tells of the origin of the Moon Festival on the 15th of the eighth month as proof.

     During the turbulent years of the Ching dynasty, an Emperor escaped from his enemies and fled to the hills where he was starving.

     On the night of the full moon of the eighth month, a great moon shone over the fields like daylight. The Emperor sent his people into the fields to look for food.

     They found snails, peanuts, taro, and many kinds of fruits.

ESTABLISHES FESTIVAL

     When the Emperor was restored to his throne, he set up the Moon Festival and told his people to make round, white cakes like the moon for the occasion.

     Buddhists say the Moon Festival was inaugurated during the Tun dynasty (618 to 907 A.D.) to celebrate the victory of the Buddhist monks over the T'aoists in a great debate.

     The Buddhists were then at the height of the influence at court and T'aoists with the people.

     In the course of the debate the monks told how the disciples has asked Lord Buddha, "What is to become of our ancestors? They are not here to hear your message."

     Buddha replied,
     
     "Before I was born, there were many other Buddhas from who your ancestors may have received the message.

     "You can offer sacrifices to the Buddhas on the 15th of the first month and ask them to intervene for your ancestors."

BUDDHIST VICTORY

     Because of the Buddhist victory, the Emperor decreed the first moon festival to be held on the two days of the first full moon of the year (the 15th and 16th of the First Moon).

     That is the festival celebrated today as the Lantern Festival.

     NEXT: The Lantern Festival.