For the Vietnamese, the Mid-Autumn Festival is an important event after the Lunar New Year (Tet holiday). It is celebrated not only in Vietnam but also in some other parts of Asia, including China, Japan and Korea. It is often celebrated on August 15th in the lunar calendar. The Mid-Autumn Festival was represented for the family reunion or gathering in the past. Nowadays, Mid- Autumn Festival is mainly held for young children to enjoy the best time of the year. Not only can children celebrate this event, but adults also have a chance to recall their childhood and make them feel young again.
The festival is an occasion for children’s out-night playing and family gathering. They have a chance to watch performances like singing, lion dancing, colorful lantern lighting up and moon-cake enjoying. Children are usually mesmerized by the traditional colorful lanterns. On this occasion, it is easy for us to find shops specializing in selling handmade cellophane and battery lanterns with many shapes and colors. Thus, many people go there to choose the ones for their children. Although many people stop by the shops, just a few of them have an actual need to buy lanterns or decorations for the festival. They walk around and watch them or take their photos. For a long time, lantern streets have brought people a bustling atmosphere. They often go there for taking photos before the festival occurs.
Nguyễn Thị Hồng