Moon Festival: Chang'e and the White Rabbit

Many people have forgotten this holiday’s origin story, which is a shame because there’s a goddess, a drug-making white rabbit and CAKE! In fact, every person I asked had to Google it. Just so you’re aware, there are two stories: one with a hero and one with a villain. I’m going to stick to the “bad guy” version; because that’s the one I was told.

Once upon a time, there were ten suns. Of course, this was disastrous and everyone was in a foul mood all the time; then, everyone started to die because the crops wouldn’t grow. A hero named Houyi decided to fix the problem and shot down nine of the ten suns with his bow and arrow. The people were so happy and thankful that they made him king and everyone lived happily ever after….. I don’t think that ever actually happens.

As it usually does, the power of kingship turned Houyi into a greedy, tyrannical ruler who was having so much fun killing people that he decided it would be a good idea to live forever. He sought out the Queen Mother of the West for medicine that would make him immortal and SHE GAVE IT TO HIM; not her brightest moment as the immortal deity of prosperity, longevity and eternal bliss.

Houyi didn’t take the medicine immediately. Apparently, it would only work if taken on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, so he had to wait. This gave his wife, Chang'e, a chance to steal it and, not wanting her husband to go on torturing people forever, she did. After taking the medicine, Chang'e became a goddess (reigning over the moon, menstruation and rebirth) and flew up to her lunar palace where a white rabbit was waiting for her.

Of course, Houyi was pissed and tried to shoot her down, but apparently kingship had destroyed his aim as well as his soul. Legend has it that he died soon after (probably from a rage induced heart attack) and everyone decided to honor Chang'e’s excellent thieving skills with the tradition of Moon Festival... (which has since been added to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage list or should be. I was told that it had been added, but then couldn't find any evidence of it online.)

So currently, there’s a rabbit and a goddess on the Moon. The immortal little fluff ball is spending eternity on the Moon so that Chang'e has someone to talk to and as punishment for giving out too many happy pills. The little one is the god’s apothecary and, under duress, he gave the Queen Mother of the West too many immortality pills, an action that makes him (slightly) responsible for Chang'e’s fate. Even today, people still “see” rabbits making moon shapes around the holiday in honor of their friend.

In addition to having a cool backstory, moon cakes and barbeques make this one of the most delicious holidays in Taiwanese culture. Traditional cakes are “moon” shaped and filled with a sweet, dense filling that has a salted egg yolk in the center. Historically, the treats were sometimes used to smuggle secret messages across enemy lines. In recent years, they have gone more main-stream and many large chains, such as Godiva and Starbucks sell seasonal mooncakes. Chocolate and lotus flower flavors are best!