Celebration Of Tet Trung Thu: Mid-autumn Festival In Vietnam

The Tet Trung Thu, or Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam, is the second significant traditional festival in Vietnam after Lunar New Year Eve, the greatest event of the year. One of the highlights of many Vietnam family trips is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which stands for Vietnam's traditional charm. If you're thinking about visiting Vietnam with kids in the fall, this bright festival will make your trip a memorable one.

WHAT IS THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN VIETNAM

While many Asian nations observe the Mid-autumn Festival, which originated in China, the Vietnamese version has its own customs and myths. Our most well-known legend concerns a guy by the name of Cuoi who clung to a mystical banyan tree as it soared to the moon. We claim that if you attentively examine the full moon, you can make out a man's shadow seated behind a tree. The night of the Mid-autumn Festival in Vietnam, kids carry lanterns through the streets to light Cui's path from the moon to earth.

The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam is entirely distinct from the Chinese myth. According to legend, the Mid-Autumn Festival was originally a chance for parents to make up for time lost with their kids after the harvest season, which was typically finished by September (Mid-August in the Lunar calendar), and the parents were eager to celebrate the harvest with their kids after spending a lot of time working hard and away from the family. The full moon, which stands for the abundance and fullness of life, illuminated the event.

In many ways, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam resembles a cross between Halloween and Thanksgiving in the West. Children march through the streets chanting and holding various-sized, bright lanterns. Popular designs include fish, stars, butterflies, and a spinning lantern that shows the earth around the sun when a candle is inserted.

WHY IS MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IMPORTANT

There have been Mid-Autumn Festivals for more than 3,000 years. It was formed from the tradition of praising the moon in the fall as a way of giving thanks for the crop.

The Mid-Autumn Festival now includes additional connotations as a result of cultural and historical events, such as families coming together to pray for happiness and health.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is mostly observed nowadays as a time for family gatherings. It is believed that the moon shines brightest and roundest on this day, which has come to represent a family gathering. Due to the festival's emphasis on family reunion, it has been compared to Thanksgiving in the United States.

The Mid-Autumn Holiday is primarily a festival for children in Vietnam. Parents purchase for their kids a variety of lanterns, sweets, and amusing masks throughout the celebration. In Vietnam, rice is harvested before the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, which is mid-autumn. The God of Earth is then offered offerings by each family. Parents spend the festival holiday playing with their kids because they don't have much time to care for them throughout the harvesting process.

WHAT TO EAT DURING THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN VIETNAM

Mooncake - The must eat food

A unique cake that is only available during this event is the mooncake. Various tastes are used to make this cake, most frequently eggs, dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, and green beans. The dish is really sweet. Therefore, pairing it with green tea is the ideal way to enjoy it. Mooncakes stand for good fortune, joy, prosperity, and wellbeing. To celebrate beneath the moonlight, the entire family will assemble for a feast. Because they are a seasonal meal at the time and are readily molded into a miniature dog, grapefruits cannot be neglected in the feast.

Thanksgiving and family reunion are the central ideas of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The full moon and peoples' aspirations for happiness and family reunification are represented by mooncakes.

Pumpkin — to Have Good Health

People who live south of the Yangtze River adhere to the festival custom of eating pumpkin.

When mooncakes were expensive and available during the Mid-Autumn Festival in the past, poor households choose to eat pumpkin instead. Eating pumpkin during the Mid-Autumn Festival night is a custom that has been passed down, and people believe it would improve their health.

River Snails — Brighten Your Eyes

For many in Guangzhou, river snails are a must-have dish for the Mid-Autumn Festival supper. To mask their foul stench, river snails are typically cooked with therapeutic herbs. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, river snails are said to help brighten the eyes.

HOW DO VIETNAMESE CELEBRATE THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL

A variety of events are organized to commemorate the Mid-Autumn Festival In Vietnam. Worshiping the God of Earth, holding lanterns fashioned like carp, and taking in a lion dance procession are among the primary events.

1. Worship the God of Earth

On the Mid-Autumn Festival's eve, a platform for worship is typically set up in the yard, where mooncakes, fruit, and refreshments are placed. Later, the family gathers to enjoy the meal while admiring the moon.

Once all of the food has been consumed, the platform is removed at midnight. Most families also set up a separate eating area only for the kids so they may eat whenever they want during the evening.

2. Carry Carp-Shaped Lanterns

The Vietnamese also have a custom of lighting lanterns on the Mid-Autumn Festival's eve. According to a tradition, a carp ghost allegedly murdered several individuals on the Mid-Autumn Festival's eve, making it such that no household feared to leave their homes at that hour.

Later, a clever man came up with an idea: he built a lamp in the shape of a carp with a stick in its belly and told people to stroll at night while carrying the lantern. The brightness from these lanterns frightened the carp ghost, who hasn't ventured to harm anybody at the Mid-Autumn Festival since.

Today, kids play in the moonlight while eating mooncakes while holding various types of paper lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival evening.

3. Watching the Lion Dance Parade

The Mid-autumn in Vietnam must include lion dancing. Children in groups congregate, each carrying a red lantern. Everyone joins in on the upbeat Mid-autumn Festival tunes they have known since they were little. When drumbeats can be heard coming from along the dark street, excitement reaches a height. When a mythological lion erupts into their courtyard, its enormous head and sinuous body carried by a group of acrobatic dancers, the younger children shrink back while the larger ones hurry forward.

The lion is both amusing and fearsome with its gaping jaws and piercing eyes. The youngsters yell and giggle at the dancers' antics as they surge closer to the audience. The lion dances with its crimson sequined body shimmering in the light of the full moon. Nothing compares to this magnificent performance on the night of Mid-autumn for Vietnamese kids.

WHEN IS THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN VIETNAM

Similar to many other Asian nations, Vietnamese also celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which honors the Lunar Calendar's greatest full moon of the year (Moon Calendar). This celebration is considered to have its roots in the Rice Civilization of the Red River Delta. The event has grown in popularity throughout the years and has been well-maintained up to this point.

With a full moon at night, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam is observed on the 15th day of the lunar calendar's eighth month, which occurs in the midst of autumn and corresponds to mid-September to early October in the Western calendar. It also marks the conclusion of the yearly summer harvest season, which is why it is known as an East Asian harvest celebration. On this unique day, the family gathers and prepares a variety of sweets and fruits. They also make beautiful lanterns and don a variety of amusing masks.

WHERE ARE THE BEST DESTINATIONS TO ENJOY THE MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL IN VIETNAM

Hanoi

Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam and its oldest city, is the place you should go if you want to learn about the values of the Mid Autumn Festival in Vietnam as well as the local culture. You will be able to experience the joyous mood created by the tens of thousands of vibrant lanterns at this period, especially in and around the Old Quarters. Immerse yourself in the lively and well-known Hang Ma Street, where a wide variety of traditional and contemporary toys, colorful lanterns, and beautiful check-in photos are sold. Observe Vietnamese locals purchasing presents for their children as well as young people visiting the street for check-in photos. 

You will have a memorable experience when you spend hours in line at renowned antique shops on Thuy Khue Street to purchase authentic Vietnamese mooncakes. You should visit the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake on the full moon date to take in the vibrant atmosphere, observe the lion and dragon dance, and attend live performances. Don't be afraid to wander the streets, play freely, and take part in lantern parades with Vietnamese children during the beautiful full moon.

Hoi An

Even on the busiest days, especially around the Mid-Autumn Festival, Hoi An Ancient Town exudes an undeniable charm. It is also crowded yet not boisterous. Hoi An is well known for its vibrant hanging lanterns along the streets, but at night, especially on the Mid-Autumn date, it looks to be much more wonderful. You may attend a traditional cooking lesson here during the day to learn how to create traditional mooncakes, or you can participate in a traditional lantern-making session. Hoi An is a wonderful spot for anyone looking for a romantic environment at night when the town is lit up.

On the 15th day of the lunar month, people often release floating lanterns (candles) into the Thu Bon River at night. And the Mid-Autumn Festival date would make it much more intriguing. The river will be completely illuminated by hundreds of glistening lights. They are thought to bring luck and pleasure when placed on the water. A traditional Asian festival that could not be more joyful will astound you and your children with amusing folk games and lion dances in certain places.

Ho Chi Minh City

Mid-Autumn Festival is an appealing attraction in Ho Chi Minh City. Along with vibrant lanterns, lively traditional dances, and entertaining parades, the city also celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is cherished by the Chinese community. On this day, you may go to ChinaTown in District No. 5 to experience the nostalgic ambiance on the streets decorated with red lanterns. For your kids to experience the joyous and merry atmosphere in Ho Chi Minh, the largest metropolis in Vietnam, amusement parks or famous sites are also fantastic choices.

Every Vietnamese youngster has fond memories of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also a special time for families to spend quality time together. This celebration is only one of the wonderful customs that make up Vietnam's rich cultural heritage. Although many parts of daily life have changed throughout time, the Mid-Autumn Festival still plays a significant role in Vietnamese people's spiritual lives. 

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