Longevity Peach (Bun) for Birthday & Celebrations (壽桃包之源由)

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Recently, got a PM from a Member from my Web to enquiry on the Origin and the Usage of Longevity Peach Bun during Birthday & Celebration. Due to I was away for some Issues, so not able to post this Article immediately for Public Reading. Today, finally got the chance to share with ALL of you here.

If we will to trace back the 1st usage of Longevity Peach Bun, it shall be back to the Period of when Yellow Emperor aka Huang Di (黃帝) making his attempts to defeat Chi You (蚩尤) aka the Destroyer, which was about 4800 years ago.

During the battling with Chi You, Huang Di was not able to defeat him and so, with no other choices, Huang Di had to make a report to the Heaven to request for assistance. On that very night, Jiu Tian Xuan Nv aka The Ninth Heaven Maiden (九天玄女) appeared in Huang Di's dream to present him a few Manuals & Scriptures for the placing of Formation & making of Spiritual Objects to defeat Chi You.

After waking-up, Huang Di really got the physical Manuals & Scriptures besides him and so from that Day, Huang Di followed the teaching of Jiu Tian Xuan Nv and finally, Huang Di defeated Chi You and took back the whole Mainland.

On the Night of Victory, Jiu Tian Xuan Nv appeared in the dream of Huang Di again. This time round, she was here to congrat on the Victory and also to advise Huang Di on the presenting of Longevity Peaches to Mother Queen Empress of the West (西王母) on the 3rd Day of Lunar 3 Month, as a form of Gratitude for sending the Manuals & Scriptures for the defeating Chi You. Just as Jiu Tian Xuan Nv was about to finish the last sentence, an Internal Assistant (內侍) of Huang Di woke him up for the Morning Meeting. With the sudden call, Huang Di was not able to know of where to get the Longevity Peaches and so, during the Morning Meeting, Huang Di seems to lost concentration for quite a long period. Knowing that Huang Di was having some doubts, one of his Officers step out from his seat to provide assistance to him asking what had happened.

Upon hearing that, Huang Di explained to the Officers on the dream that he got and due to the waking-up, he was not able to know of where to find the Real Longevity Peaches for the Offering. After a short discussion, one of the Officers known as Tian Nv (天女) suggested of using Rice Flour Powder mixing with Water and make into dough of Peaches.

With Tian Nv's suggestion, Huang Di was delighted but still with doubts on how to make the color of the Flour Peaches to be like the Real Peaches. Just after Huang Di made the comment, another Officer known as Yu Shi (雨師) suggested using the extraction of the Red & Pink Flowers to dye the outer layer of the Flour Peaches.

Upon hearing that, Huang Di agreed and order was being pass-down for the making of the Flour Peaches.

Without moment, the Flour Peaches were ready and after inspection made, Huang Di was very satisfied and on the 3rd Day of Lunar 3 Month, such Flour Peaches were being Offered to Mother Queen Empress of the West as a form of Gratitude.

From then, Flour Peaches were being used in the replacement of the Real Peaches for Offering.

Using of Flour Peaches for Offering got 3 meanings. Here they are:

1) Returning/Showing Gratitude
2) Requesting of Longevity
3) Highest Respect (for Normal Celebration & Not Birthday)

Alot of Folks tend to misunderstand that such Flour Peaches are mend for the Deities to consume, actually the Fact is NO. Such Peaches are being used to symbolised Longevity & Prosperity or Good Luck. Same goes to Huat Kueh (發糕).