Many Asian cultures mark the end of the summer harvest with a festival. This happens in the eight lunar month, when the full moon is at its brightest. In Vietnam the festival is called Tet Trung Thu
and in China it's called Zhong Qiu Jie. Cambodians celebrate Bonn Om Touk and Koreans have a great time during Chusok. Each culture and country celebrates the holiday a little differently but the focus of
spending time with family is the same. For example in Vietnam and China, families take the time to relax and enjoy the moon's beauty while children have fun making lanterns for late night parades. The holiday is almost like Thanksgiving and Halloween combined since it focuses on giving thanks for the harvest and loved ones while children are indulged with sweets and toys.
Each year our group gathers at a local apple orchard for crafts, hip hop performances, and a lantern parade with lanterns from Vietnam. Although hip hop isn't a "traditional" activity, it gives some insight into Asian American youth culture. It's a great way to work off cider, donuts, and s'mores!
Stay tuned for our 2012 "Moon Festival." We usually host it in late September or early October.