By Khalida Sarwari
Every September or October, the Chinese and Vietnamese pull out their lanterns and mooncakes and gather their family and friends to give thanks for the harvest and pray for whatever their heart desires. The tradition, called the Mid-Autumn Festival, dates back to the Shang Dynasty and today it is celebrated around the world.
The Silicon Valley chapter of the Organization of Chinese Women is presenting Saratoga’s first-ever Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Saratoga History Museum.
The time-honored Chinese holiday that marks the end of the summer harvest will feature live entertainment, arts and crafts, traditional mooncakes and tasting, along with activities for children.
Other entertainment includes storytelling of the legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival by Ping Li, a calligraphy and brush painting demonstration, face painting, and arts and crafts opportunities for children. A number of lanterns, which are traditionally used to help people better see the moon, will be given out to kids who participate in a quiz on the history of Saratoga or the exhibit on display, titled “Pioneering the Valley: The Chinese American Legacy in Santa Clara Valley.”
The exhibit showcases the history of the Chinese-American community in the Santa Clara Valley from the 19th century to today, highlighting their achievements, and also focuses on the people and history of that community in Saratoga. The exhibit runs through Oct. 26.
“We’re hoping this Mid-Autumn Festival will give it additional publicity for the public to come and learn about the history of Saratoga and the history of Chinese Americans in Santa Clara Valley,” said Mayor Emily Lo, who is a member of the local chapter of the Organization of Chinese Women.
The highlight of the afternoon will be a demonstration of martial arts by Richie Sun, a sophomore at Saratoga High who has earned three first place titles and the grand championship in the Tiger Claw Kung Fu Magazine tournament, according to Saratoga Historical Foundation president Annette Stransky. In October, he’ll be competing in the Sixth World Wushu Championship in China.
“So this will be like a community send-off to him,” the mayor said. “Of course, we wish him the best of luck.”
Celebrated for more than 1,000 years in Asia, the Mid-Autumn or Moon Festival marks a time to reflect upon the bounty of the summer harvest, the fullness of the moon and the myth of the moon goddess, Chang O (also known as Chang E). There are several legends about the moon goddess involving immortality, a jade rabbit and the moon.
According to Stransky, the festival draws comparisons to Thanksgiving in America, and is a celebration of a tradition honoring a good harvest, youth, families and community. On Mid-Autumn Festival night the moon is supposed to be the brightest and fullest, which is why it is also known as the Moon Festival. This year, the full moon is expected to be on Sept. 8.
“It’s common for people to celebrate a day before and after that day, too,” Lo said, adding that the theme for the day before the full moon is welcoming the moon, and for the day after, saying farewell.
When watching the full moon, those who observe this holiday traditionally eat mooncakes, which are very rich, typically filled with either lotus seed, red bean or black bean paste and cut into pieces. They are a significant part of celebrating the festival throughout China, where a full moon is a symbol of family unity. Mooncakes are also given as gifts to friends and relatives.
Years ago, Saratoga held a Lantern Walk event that was similar to the Moon Festival, according to Lo.
“It was like the Chinese version of trick-or-treating,” she said.
The event was last held in 2010 and focused on bringing business to downtown Saratoga. With the Mid-Autumn Festival, the goal is to get more people to visit the museum, Lo said.
She said she’s anticipating that 300 to 400 people will attend.
“We will be there to welcome the full moon on Sept. 7, and traditionally, it will be a day to celebrate the harvest and a day for family get-togethers,” she said. “We’d like to use that opportunity to have a community event where the community can get together.”
Link: Mooncakes and much more to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival
