Origin and Meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a significant and important cultural event in the folklore of many Asian countries, including Vietnam. To learn about the origin and significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival as well as the activities during the moon festival, we invite readers to explore the article below with Mytour!

Origin and Meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mid-August Festival or Lantern Festival, is an important cultural event in the folk culture of many Asian countries such as Vietnam, China, South Korea, Japan, and many others. The Mid-Autumn Festival usually takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month when the moon is full and bright, typically in September in the Gregorian calendar.

The Mid-Autumn Festival takes place on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month

There are many stories and myths related to the Mid-Autumn Festival in various Asian countries. In Vietnam, the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the legend of Hang Nga and Uncle Cuoi.

Legend has it that there was a fairy named Hang Nga who was beautiful and loved children dearly. Despite the prohibition from the celestial realm, Hang Nga would often sneak down to the mortal world to play with children.

One day, Ngoc Hoang organized a baking competition on the full moon day. Whoever makes the most delicious, beautiful, and unique cake will be greatly rewarded. Hang Nga decided to descend to the mortal world to find a way to make a delicious, beautiful, and unique cake to join the competition.

Hang Nga met Mr. Cuoi, a person with a gift of gab and he showed Hang Nga how to make cakes by mixing all the ingredients together and then baking them. As a result, the cakes made by Mr. Cuoi, when tasted by the children, they liked them very much and praised them as delicious. Thanks to Mr. Cuoi, Hang Nga won the competition and these cakes were called 'mid-autumn cakes.'

At that time, Mr. Cuoi was pulled up to the moon with the banyan tree because of a miracle. Cuoi was stuck here so he missed home and was always sad. Seeing that, Hang Nga asked Ngoc Hoang to allow Mr. Cuoi to come down to the mortal world once a year on the 8th lunar month to reunite with his family. Hang Nga also asked to lower the boundary that day to have fun and bring moon cakes for the children to eat.

The Mid-Autumn Festival originates from the legend of Hang Nga and Mr. Cuoi.

Since then, every year on the 8th day of the lunar August, Hang Nga and Mr. Cuoi are allowed to descend to the mortal world to play with the children and reunite with their families. Ngoc Hoang named the 8th lunar month day 'Mid-Autumn Festival' and the names of the Reunion Festival, Children's Festival also came into being accordingly.

From the legend of Mr. Cuoi being able to reunite with his family on the 8th day of the lunar August, the Mid-Autumn Festival signifies the Reunion Festival, a time for family members to gather, eat, and share stories together. The Mid-Autumn Festival is an occasion to express love, care, and bonding between generations. Children who are far from home often give mooncakes as a way to express love for their parents.

For children, the Mid-Autumn Festival is an opportunity to have fun, eat mooncakes, break trays, and receive colorful lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also the Children's Festival, which shows that children are always loved by adults, have fun, and learn about the traditional culture of Vietnam.

The Mid-Autumn Festival holds significant meaning for the Vietnamese people.

In the agricultural culture of rice cultivation, the eighth month of autumn is a time of favorable rain, gentle breeze, cool climate, and convenient farming. People organize festivals on the Mid-Autumn Festival to thank the heavens and the earth for the abundant harvest, bringing warmth and fullness, as well as an occasion for young men and women to meet, mingle, or connect with friends and neighbors.

The meanings of the names of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam:

• The 15th day of the eighth lunar month: The big full moon day on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month
• Mid-Autumn Festival: Festival in the middle of autumn
• Reunion Festival: Festival where family members reunite, gather to eat cakes, drink tea
• Children's Festival: Festival for children to play, break trays, carry lanterns
• Moon-Watching Festival: Signifies the activity of admiring the full moon during the festival

Making lanterns

Making lanterns is a traditional activity during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Families often make lanterns together from colored paper or even simpler, from tin cans, then display them in front of their houses or in the courtyard to create an interesting, distinctive space that attracts young children.

Making lanterns on the Mid-Autumn Festival

Dancing and Lion Dance

Dancing and Lion Dance are often organized at events during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Dance groups and Lion Dance performances aim to bring luck, prosperity, and ward off evil spirits.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is usually incomplete without the Lion Dance

Playing traditional folk games

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a great time to participate in traditional folk games such as tug-of-war, spinning tops, sack races, playing chess, playing o an quan, and many other games.

Breaking the feast

Breaking the feast is an activity where children enjoy the Mid-Autumn feast consisting of cakes, candies, various fruits, or even toys prepared by adults. This activity reflects the joy, excitement, and anticipation of children on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Children breaking the feast on the Mid-Autumn Festival

Eating mooncakes and delicious dishes

Eating mooncakes and drinking tea is an essential activity on this day. Families gather to enjoy mooncakes, drink tea, or indulge in delicious dishes, sharing warm moments together.

The whole family gathers to eat mooncakes

Preparing an offering feast for ancestors

This is an optional activity that depends on the tradition of each family. In northern families, on the 8th day of the lunar August, descendants often gather together to prepare an offering feast including food, fruits, lanterns, and incense to offer to their ancestors as a way to show respect and gratitude for building and protecting the family.

Conclusion: The Mid-Autumn Festival carries many meanings about family affection, children's joy, and reflects the gratitude of Vietnamese people towards nature, heaven, and earth. The Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, hoping everyone has time to reunite with family and welcome a peaceful, happy Mid-Autumn season.