Shining down its light onto the earth, the robust full moon commences the age-old Asian traditions of the Mid-Autumn festival. On Oct. 27 from 7-9 p.m. on the Coates Esplanade, the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Council is hosting Trinity’s Mid-Autumn festival to celebrate family and friends, good luck, gratitude and the full moon itself.
At the festival, students can find an assortment of foods, games and cultural activities sponsored by various AAPI clubs. The clubs include: the Filipino Student Association (FSA), the South Asian Student Association (SASA), the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA), the Indigenous Peoples Club (IPC), the Japanese Culture Club (JCC) and the Chinese Language and Culture Association (CLCA).
AAPI Council will serve mooncakes and host a Chinese dice and bowl game where students can win little prizes. CLCA will give a trifold presentation on the Mid-Autumn Festival, have a calligraphy activity, and serve boba tea. JCC will have mochi and VSA will serve egg rolls, fried rice and set up a photo booth to take photos with friends and professors.
The food and games bring cultures from all parts of Asia together in celebration of the Mid-Autumn festival. AAPI students at Trinity value the cultural connection they receive through this annual celebration. Victoria Ni, junior accounting and Chinese double-major and president of the AAPI Council, is excited to share a sense of community and culture with students at Trinity.
“We don’t necessarily always get the representation here, but this is a time for families and friends to get together with their loved ones, eat special treats, look at the moon and be thankful,” Ni said.
Mooncakes are an important symbol of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Traditionally a Chinese dessert, mooncakes symbolize the full moon, which represents reunion with loved ones. There are a variety of different mooncakes, such as snow skin mooncakes (similar to mochi), white lotus, salted egg yolk and red bean. These delicious treats are shared with friends and family joyfully under the light of the full moon.
The festival is not only a place for students to celebrate together, but to connect with professors as well. Melanie Nguyen, senior biochemistry major and VSA vice president of external affairs and AAPI finance chair, shared her experience with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
“Last year, VSA had a photo backdrop and I remember taking pictures with the polaroid there with my Chinese professors,” Nguyen said. “A lot of EAST professors tend to visit and talk to students. It’s a great way to get to know them.”
Last year, Jinli He, Chinese and comparative language professor, gave a talk about the moon legends associated with the holiday, Confucius’ doctrine about keeping families together and the importance of the festival’s theme of family and connection.
This year, there is not a talk planned, but instead, more activities and food in hopes to create an emphasis on cultural experiences. The festival was not always around at Trinity. In fact, Trinity’s Mid-Autumn Festival is only a few years old. Julie Bondy, fifth- year biology and industrial design double-major and student advisor of AAPI Council, shares how the festival began at Trinity.
“When I was at Trinity, we started celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival when I was a sophomore. Through CLCA and JCC, we had a small Mid-Autumn festival by the fountain. The following year we wanted to make it more collaborative, so we started the tradition with all the AAPI clubs.” Bondy said.
Now all students at Trinity have the opportunity to participate in this annual festival and get a taste of unique cultures. It is a time to think about family as we all look up at the same moon, despite being in different places. As students are far away from families, the Mid-Autumn Festival provides a place where students can come together and share the pride of culture and reunion.
