The Sixth Annual Mid-Autumn Festival About the Festival This site uses the VISCII standard for encoding Vietnamese. We offer instructions for configuring your browser to view VISCII.

What is Tªt-Trung-Thu?

Tªt-Trung-Thu (tet-troong-thoo), or Mid-Autumn Festival, marks the fifteenth day of the eight month of the Oriental calendar. It is one of the two most popular Vietnamese festivals: Tªt-Nguyên-Ðán (New Year's Festival) and Tªt-Trung-Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival). Tªt-Trung-Thu, known as the Children's Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival in Vi®t-Nam, is also celebrated in other parts of Asia in slightly different styles. There are several attractions during Tªt-Trung-Thu; one of the famous activities is the "Cá hóa R°ng" lantern procession. The lantern procession -- in which many youth groups participate, lit-up lantern masterpieces in hand -- will be a splendid sight. "Cá hóa R°ng" -- a mythical symbol which literally means "a carp that transformed itself into a dragon" -- refers to the hard work and accomplishments of young students.

Like other Vietnamese traditional festivals, Tªt-Trung-Thu closely reflects the seasonal spirit, with its own purpose, scenery, flavors, and sounds.

• PURPOSE: Tªt-Trung-Thu promotes education, innovative ideas, arts and crafts, poetry, and especially affection for the young.
• SCENERY: Tªt-Trung-Thu presents a captivating panorama of children's lantern processions, colorful lantern shows, songs, and dances. Delightful scenes of family and friends gathering at the festival, drinking fragrant teas, reciting poetry, and talking about the arts and education abound.
• FLAVORS: Tªt-Trung-Thu offers the unique flavors of mid-autumn delicacies, such as moon cake, lotus seed paste cake, mung bean cake, and assorted choices of frangrant teas guaranteed to satisfy everyone's tastes.
• SOUNDS: Tªt-Trung-Thu provides the pleasant sounds of children's laughter, upbeat music from the "LÂN" dance drum, and distinctive children's songs that will bring a smile to everyone's face.

How did Tªt-Trung-Thu start?

Tªt-Trung-Thu started at the dawn of agricultural civilization, which dates back some fifteen to twenty thousand years in Southeast Asia. It has always been an important event to Vietnamese families. Over many centuries, Tªt-Trung-Thu has been a special time for everyone to rejoice in the spirit of autumn. To prepare for the festival, parents usually help children make the lanterns on their own. On the night of Tªt-Trung-Thu, parents light up the Ðèn-Kéo-Quân (Winding-Around-Troupe-Lantern) and wish for their children's success in school. Teenage troupes perform "LÂN" dances in the neighborhood to compete for prizes.

When is Tªt-Trung-Thu in San José?

For the past twenty years, the Vietnamese community has celebrated this special event at several locations in San José. This year, the Sixth Annual Mid-Autumn Festival will begin at noon and conclude at midnight, with the highlights of a lantern procession and talent shows performed by children of different ethnic groups.

Come and join us on this colorful day, and stay for the spectacular evening. It will be a memorable day for your family!

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