The Mid-Autumn Festival in the Student Center on Sept. 9, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Also known as the Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the waxing of the full moon. It is traditionally Chinese, but is also celebrated by many other Asian cultures.
The event is hosted by Asbury’s Asian Student Alliance (ASA). “This is a student-led group that works toward making Asian-Americans, Pacific Islanders, etc., feel at home in this community,” Dawn Killian, Director of Intercultural Life, explained to the Collegian.
“The MidAutumn festival is essentially Thanksgiving for many Asian countries. Traditionally, it’s when families get together to celebrate an abundant harvest season.” Lucas Lee, a member of the ASA, told the Collegian. “Back when I lived in Korea, we would usually celebrate by cooking certain foods and playing traditional games. Most families have big gatherings or reunions in the countryside where most people’s grandparents live.”
Festivities at the event will include tea ceremony demonstrations, lantern making, fan painting, calligraphy, and chopstick competitions. There will also be catering featuring a diverse selection of Asian foods, including the mooncakes that serve as the festival’s alternative namesake.
An educational pamphlet will be provided for attendees, which will explore the history of the Mid-Autumn Festival and provide a selection of personal accounts from Asian Asbury students regarding the festival within their home countries.
According to Killian, the ASA plans to host more cultural events throughout the school year.
