Mid-Autumn Festival in Viet Nam
The Mid-Autumn Festival is an East Asian harvest festival. It is celebrated by Chinese and Vietnamese people on 15th of the 8th month of Lunar Calendar, the day with a big full-moon at night. This festival is a wonderful holiday shared by the Vietnamese people just after Lunar New Year.
The origin of this festival begun from two folktales “Cuội” and “Hằng Nga,” from then, children lights their lanterns and participate in a procession to show their respect for that story. The festival mainly celebrated by adults for the kids.
When the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, business places such as schools, churches, hospitals always organize competitions like making mooncakes, making lanterns or organize charity trips to support the kids in difficult condition. In town, the street will be filled with lights and stalls selling mooncakes, teas, electronic-lanterns and traditional lamps.
The origin of the conventional mooncake was begun from the shape of the full moon at night and included inside with one or two salted-eggs. Vietnamese people believed that mooncake represents fullness and prosperity of life. Furthermore, another important thing is Lion-Dances and Dragon-Dances followed by a lot of kids with their lanterns; this seems like an indispensable thing that gave the kids memories about the origin of the festival.
During the time of the celebration, family, friends, and relatives usually send mooncakes for each other as a present of luck and wishing for all the lucky things will come for the rest of the year. Families also celebrate the holiday by sitting together, drinking tea, eating mooncakes and watching their kids playing outside under the moonlight.
The Mid-Autumn festival is one of the most indispensable holidays with Vietnamese people because this is the time to give thanks to the harvest and also is an excellent opportunity for family and friends for a reunion. In my opinion, Mid-Autumn Holiday is a special chance for giving love and luck to everybody.
