Tet Trung Thu

Like other countries in Asian, Viet Nam also has many beautiful and colorful festivals every year. One of them that is expected mostly by children is Mid- Autumn festival- is also called Tet Trung Thu. It is an ancient festival of Vietnamese cultural, and also very important to families in Viet Nam because Mid- Autumn is a big occasion for grandparents,parents, the elder people show their love to their children. On these days,to giving a really happy festival for kids, people have to have a good preparation and do a lot of things.

Mid- Autumn festival is hold exactly on 15th day of the 8th lunar month every year. However, before that time about one moth, the atmosphere is began. All the streets in my home town are full of red colour of lantern shops and Moon cake shops. Many people start to buy them to give present for others who they love,respect or caring. My parents usually buy Moon cake for my grandparents, my relatives, my neighbourhoods and sometimes, for unlucky people. Furthermore, parents also buy new clothes, colorful lanterns and Moon cake for their children. About children, they help their family to clean, decorate house and prepare many things for making the Moon worship. Morever, in these days, parents will spent time with their child and do some thing special for them like making lantern or baking cake. I remember when I was six, it was the first time my father taught me how to make a star latern. He peeled some bamboo branches for me to make the frame of lantern. And then he guided me to stick paper on to the frame with glue. It seemed to be easy, but to a little kids, it was quite complex, thus I could not make a beautiful star lantern that I desired. However, my father said to me that I did a good job and no matter what the lantern was, the most important thing was that I tried my best. It was a really valuable lesson for me and I will never forget those words. Since then, on every Mid-Autumn coming, my father and I make lantern together again. That means a lot to us.

Not only families prepare for this festival but also people who work in committee prepare ,too. In my hamlet, they organize many activities for everybody, especially for kids. They install some stalls sale some toys for kid like paper mask, for example mask of Ton Ngo Khong, one kind of toy named tò he and lanterns and etc. People decorate Children’s Cultural House beautifully to hold singing, drawing and decorating flower and fruit contest. All of them are very busy but delighted and uproarious.

After preparation period for Mid-Autumn, the next is occuring festival. On the 15th day of August in Lunar calendar, people visit to the others house like parents, relatives,friends and etc on the daylight. The festival starts really on the evening. First,people buy fruits such as coconuts, mangoes, grapefruits, bananas, candies and Moon cake to give grandsire and the Moon. While elder is busy with decorating altar, now is the time for children enjoy their happiness. They parade on the streets and around hamlet while singing and bringing colorful lanterns with many different shapes like star,carp, butterfly, ship, lotus, so on. After finishing making the worship, everybody watch Lion Dance-called Mua Lan that is performed by dancers who are very skilful. Others stay at home,some neighbors can sit on yard together and share cake, fruits,candies, even their diary life stories. After having a joyful time, children come back to home,all member in family gather ,eat Moon cake that are filled with lotus seeds, green beans, meat and yolks in the center. Inaddition, they also share feeling and watch the rounded Moon light together in happiness. Grandparents usuallly tell some fairy tales about this festival such as Carp want to become a Dragon, the norystory about Chu Cuoi, Chi Hang Nga. Alomost people feel very happy.

Mid- Autumn is really a valuable and beautiful festival for each of us although it has many things have to be prepare for.Indeed, It is not only a chance for parents show their love to children, but also a chance for teaching all members in families about Viet Nam’s loving and make us close together.Wherever I go,whatever I do,everytime when The Mid-Autumn is coming, I just want to be in my warm family, seeing Moon light, eating Moon cake and listening fairy stories of my grandparents.