Various Asian cultural organizations on campus organized events from Sept. 25 through Oct. 8 to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which took place on Sept. 29. These celebrations, which featured mooncake tastings, performances, and lantern paintings, aimed to foster community and promote cross-cultural interaction among students.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is regarded as the second-most important festival in China after the Lunar New Year and usually takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. Traditionally, the festival is a time for family reunions and eating mooncakes, which are traditional round pastries made with a variety of sweet fillings. It is also the optimal time for moon gazing, as the moon is at its fullest.
Fostering community
Vanderbilt University Chinese Students and Scholars Association hosted a gala on Oct. 8 that featured live-streamed performances by The Deltamen, Vanderbilt’s first all-Asian student band, as well as various dance groups, singers and performers from the local Chinese community. According to junior Shirley Xu, president of VUCSSA, the gala aimed to celebrate Chinese cultural heritage and foster community among international Chinese students. Attendees of the event were provided with free mooncakes, boba and tickets for lottery drawings.
First-year Chelsea Li expressed her appreciation for the sense of community at the event and said it helped relieve homesickness.
“I feel so fortunate that everyone could gather together to celebrate Mid-Autumn, even on foreign soil,” Li said.
First-year Cici Luo commented on the talent of the performers.
“It’s so nice to see fellow Chinese peers showcase their amazing talents,” Luo said. “I was genuinely surprised.”
Sharing culture with others
Peabody Asian Pacific Islander Desi American and Queering Education and Development co-hosted a mooncake mix-and-mingle event on Sept. 25 that included free mooncake tastings, icebreaker games and a quiz on the holiday’s cultural significance.
“It was different from previous years because we decided not to do a mooncake making event but a mooncake tasting,” second-year Ph.D. student Melissa Luong said.
Vanderbilt Undergraduate Chinese Association hosted their Mid-Autumn Festival event at Moore College on Sept. 27, offering food from Lucky Bamboo and mooncakes alongside student performances.
“We aimed to present an opportunity for both Chinese and non-Chinese students to appreciate Chinese culture and understand the importance of the Mid-Autumn festival,” VUCA member Olivia Fang, a sophomore said in a text message to The Hustler. “Participants were able to enjoy mooncakes and mochi, taste different teas and practice calligraphy.”
On Sept. 28, the Taiwanese American Student Association provided mooncake tasting and lanterns for participants to paint, allowing students from various backgrounds to experience traditional culture.
TASA first-year representative Sam Pan commented on the cross-cultural nature of the event.
“I feel really excited to see how many foreign students are interested in learning our culture,” Pan said. “I got to teach these foreign students how to write down their Chinese names on the lanterns.”
