HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024
The Mid Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is one of the largest annual events for many countries in Asia such as China, Vietnam South Korea, and Japan. The festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar. On the night of the festival, ancient people believe that the moon appears to be the fullest. In the past, the Mid Autumn festival is a time for farmers to celebrate successful crops after a hard-working year. Although Asian American community live far from their hometowns, they still keep this tradition of celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival. Below are pictures of the festival this year in California, which is known as the state with the largest number of Asian Americans living in the U.S. Many cities such as Temple City and Rosemead in the southern region of the state especially held their own local events to celebrate the Moon Festival.
In Temple City, California, a small Moon Festival was held to celebrate this large event of the year for Asian Americans.
The event introduced different traditional foods and special activities that can only be found during this festive time of the year.
For example, there were moon cakes,
grilled seafood,
plant shop,
games for children,
… and live music.
Meanwhile, the city of Rosemead, California, held a large event for its 6th annual Moon Festival.
The city offered a variety of food trucks and booths for visitors to enjoy the Moon Festival.
Grilled seafoods or BBQ were especially preferred by many visitors.
Children coming to the festival might also enjoyed feeding, learning and playing with animals such as goats, sheep, and ponies.
For Asian American communities in the US, these events are opportunites for them to celebrate their traditional Moon Festival. For other visitors, festivals held by local cities are chances for them to learn about another culture and enjoy the beauty of this meaningful occasion.
© August 2019 Viet Linh. California, USA.
