![]() Though they expected less than 100 youth and family members to attend, more than 400 showed up. The youth immediately began preparing to “put on a festival for the elderly.” The first festival took place in the parking lot at the local church, Holy Redeemer. Mooncakes magically appeared once a year.” The youth, though, recognized that “as bad as it is for us, it is much harder on the elderly in Chinatown.” “As a child, I didn’t know anything about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Zen Vuong, a youth member of Asian Americans United, put it: Youth noticed that it was even difficult to find holiday mooncakes in local shops. Immigrant parents work long hours, sometimes seven days a week, and do not have enough time to cook a large feast. The youth felt homesick and missed celebrating the Mid-Autumn festival with family. In 1996, immigrant youth from Chinatown initiated the first Philadelphia Chinatown Mid-Autumn Festival. The holiday spread to countries throughout Asia and is a favorite tradition for many. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for family gatherings. ![]() ![]() After some time, the Mid-Autumn Festival became associated with other traditions and objects such as lanterns and delicious treats called mooncakes. Family traditions in China have evolved over centuries, and now include moon-gazing and celebratory feasts at the end of the harvest season. According to legend, Emperor Xuanzong discovered a Moon Palace, and afterward started to host celebrations connected to the lunar cycle. Plants glowed under the moonlight, and as such, the moon became connected in many facets of Chinese culture. This post was written by guest blogger Alix Webb, Executive Director of Asian Americans UnitedĪccording to ancient Chinese beliefs, the moon represented a source of life.
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