Mid-Autumn Festival: A Celebration of Family & Prosperity

In ancient Vietnam, mid-August (Lunar calendar, usually falls in September) was considered to be a respite after a long, grueling harvest. After months of toiling under the blazing summer sun, parents would then turn their attention to their children and celebrate the end of the harvest with them, making up for lost time. Under the light of the full moon, a symbol of prosperity, parents would present their children with gifts, sweets, and other signs of affection.

This tradition has several names; Mid-Autumn Festival, Tết Trung thu, or the Children's Festival. Despite the various hardships and changes throughout Vietnam's lengthy history, the holiday was consistently celebrated by generations of Vietnamese families and continues to enchant children today. Many who grow up in Vietnam recall the magicals parades led by dancing lions and dragons, lighting colorful, carp-shaped lanterns, and playing moonlit games late into the night.

To fully understand Vietnam's love of this ancient holiday, the VNT reached out to several Hanoians of various ages to hear their favorite memory of the Mid-Autumn Festival. As many of Hanoi's older population has spent their youth in the countryside, their personal connection with the tradition has certainly changed over the years. However, no matter the setting, Vietnamese people still honor the Mid-Autumn moon with tons of laughter and celebration.

"Mẹ ơi!" - Bơ, 1

Baby Bơ eyeing a treasure trove of toys. Photo by Lien Vit.

At only 18 months old, Baby Bơ, understandably, doesn't have a lot to say about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Her mother reports that she squeals with excitement when coming across the seasonal toy markets in Hanoi's Old Quarter. The mother and daughter are looking forward to making new memories for many Mid-Autumn Festivals to come.

Meeting the Monkey King. Photo by Lien Vit.

"Time Seemed to Stop with Joy" - Nguyen Hien Minh, 22

Nguyen Hien Minh and her brother, posing in front of a constellation of star lanterns in 2009. Photo by Can Anh Minh Quan.

"I have been studying abroad in France for 4 years. Summer 2022 is the first time I came back home to visit my family in Hanoi since the Covid started. Here, I have all the time in the world to rediscover my Hanoi again. But one of my favorite memories is taking family photos. It was fun running around with my cousins, as my holder held a big basket full of fruits that came from our garden bark excitedly. The time seemed to stop with joy. At that moment, it made me feel like my heart was returning to its home, my family."

"My Baby Fell Asleep in Grandmother's Arms" - Tran Thi My Nhan, 25

A happy family gathering for the holiday. Photo by Tran Thi My Nhan.

"I was born and raised in a small village in the outskirts of Nghe An province so all the Mid-Autumn celebrations I enjoyed there were pretty simple yet so much fun and memorable. The children of the village would follow a group of people performing lion dance and then go on a parade around the neighborhoods like we were on a village tour. We visited every single house in the village and would sing and dance along to the music and drums in return for candies and money from the homeowners, we end up gathering in a 'community house' and shared candies with each other and used our money to pay the lion dancers I really miss those old days, I feel like I never enjoyed Mid-Autumn Festivals quite the same since I moved to Hanoi for high school.

"Now I am a full-time mother. I really wish my kid would have the chance to a 'real' Mid-Autumn Festival like I once had, but I guess it is far removed from reality since children prefer to stick to their smartphones than go to a parade.

Baby sleeping in her grandmother's loving arms is a wonderful Mid-Autumn memory. Photo by Tran Thi My Nhan.

"This year as a married woman, I paid a visit to my great grandmother-in-law with my husband and baby daughter. The woman was in her nineties and it was the first time she met her great-granddaughter. But things didn't go as planned. She fell asleep in her great grandmother's arms almost immediately but we still had a fun time together."

"We Sang Under the Full Moon" - Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hang, 52

Hang recalls fun holidays with her siblings. Photo by Nguyen Thi Tuyet Hang.

"One time, my siblings and I gathered around a big tray of moon cakes, candies, and fruits in the front yard. We had to wait until the moon was fully bright and round to be allowed to eat. During the wait, we looked up at the moon and sang songs together. The best gift I ever got a shirt that was sewn from a piece of fabric cut out from my mom's wedding dress."

"A Rare Occassion to Eat Pork" - Nguyen Van Ngoc, 57

Thịt heo ngon. Photo by Glen MacDonald.

"When I was small, Mid-Autumn was a time when the local youth union a dinner with savory food for all hosted kids in the village, but not snacks, moon cakes, fruits, and candies like. After dinner, we played some. games together. There was no lantern parade back then, either. I lived in a poor village; before Mid-Autumn, the community would contribute a pig, and families would contribute rice. A family with two kids had to contribute two bowls of rice The youth union would help with cooking in the communal house's front yard When it was time, we kids would bring bowls and chopsticks there and eat together Back then, the holiday was special because it was one of the rare occasions in the year when we had pork to eat. Even though it was just boiled meat, we were always very happy to eat it. In daily meals, we only got to eat what could be caught in the paddy fields or in the river, and pork was too fancy."

Ngoc at age 29. Photo by Nguyen Van Ngoc.

Honoring the Children of Vietnam's Past, Present, and Future

No matter the year, children's laughter always accompanies the Mid-Autumn Festival. Photo by VTV.

Overcoming multiple wars for independence, economic reforms, and the ever-changing nature of global politics, Vietnam continues to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, giving farmers the time to rest, children the time to play, and families the time to bond. While the older generation's celebrations were simpler than modern Mid-Autumn Festivals, the love of family and community was still present. As Vietnam progresses, the holiday may have some superficial changes but the themes of family, prosperity and the joys of youth will forever remain a part of the nation's colorful Mid-Autumn Festival.

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