Mid-Autumn Festival Legend – How the Vietnamese celebrate it
Annually, under the shining full moon on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar month, the whole Vietnam country is covered with the red color of carp-shaped lanterns, the sounds of boisterous laughter and the delicate scent of the traditional mooncakes. At this time, people pour into the streets to feel the tumultuous atmosphere of Tet Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) coming to town.
Mid-Autumn Festival is much more like the Children’s Day, bringing them so much joy.
Tet Trung Thu is a festival mainly for the children, with the purpose of bringing joy to the kids through traditional customs and activities such as folk dancing, singing, or playing games.
How do the Vietnamese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival?
Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated annually for family and friends to reunite and celebrate a party.
Usually, a worshiping tray is an integral part of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam. It is set up in the yard during the night of the festival, on which mooncakes, fruits and snacks are laid.
Make colorful lanterns and funny masks
Every year, when the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, a lot of funny masks and various lantern shapes are carefully made by Vietnamese skillful artisans. The Red star-shaped lantern is a symbol of this festival. It is made from bamboo sticks and glittering colored-transparent papers, both of which are cheap materials so that any child can afford to have one.
It is believed that the sparkling light from the star symbolizes purity and innocence, which are normally found in the children.
Adults are making star-shaped lanterns for the children to play with during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Star-shaped and carp-shaped lanterns used to be the favorite traditional toys of children. Nowadays, due to the integration of trade between countries, there are a variety of kinds of toys as well as lantern shapes for children in the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, the image of the Vietnamese children holding a star-shaped lantern and having fun with friends in the festival is still the own identity of the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival that nowhere else to be found.
Watch the dragon and lion dance parade
The dragon and lion dance parade is a very meaningful and indispensable activity in the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival. It is not just a fun activity but also contains a lot of spiritual meanings. Usually, dragon and lion are the sacred animals and placed in the temples or pagodas, therefore, Vietnamese people believe that the dragon and lion dance symbolizes the luck, peace and success for everyone.
The dragon and lion dance are more spectacular day by day and are decorated beautifully and eye-catching colors. The dance is not simple, the street artists need to practice carefully to bring the best performance in the festival, sometimes even dangerous.
Vietnamese children, ranging from little kids to teenagers really love to participate in this activity. After the dragon and lion dance ends, all the children usually march around the sacred animal and roam with it through the streets in the sound of cheerful drums.
Enjoy mooncakes
Mid-Autumn Festival is considered a special event for family reunions, and the original round shape of the mooncakes is also indicative of that meaning. During the festival, family members usually gather and make offerings to their ancestors then delightedly enjoy mooncakes with fragrant tea while admiring the full moon.
Vietnamese traditional mooncake
Mid-Autumn Festival is much more like the second Children’s Day, bringing them so much joy along with a host of interesting traditional activities with friends and family. Despite the great impact of globalization in Vietnamese culture and the recent transformation of customs, the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival still has its own meaningful identity that nowhere else is found.
Sourced: Internet.
