A Reunion Festival



A Reunion Festival

In China, people always say that the Mid-Autumn Festival always makes their family reunite. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a very important and traditional Chinese festival. It is on the fifteenth of August in the lunar calendar, and it is a public holiday in China. Also, it is an inherited custom of lunar sacrificial ceremonies, and the purpose of the holiday is to celebrate the harvest. As a result, Chinese people try their best to come and join their families on this special day, even if they work far away from their homes. However, everything has changed for me since I came to Chicago. With a different environment and different cultures, Chinese people can’t always get together with their families to celebrate this special festival. Thus, the main parts of Mid-Autumn day, such as food, traditional activities, and the parties with friends are slowly moving from me since I moved in Chicago, which means that the celebration of the holiday is different from the traditional way we used to experience.

Even though I live in a country with different cultures, I still remember the food we used to have on the Mid-Autumn day, especially the mooncake, which is an essential part of the tradition. In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes completeness and unity, so people always make round mooncakes, and sharing mooncakes means their families are complete and united. First, the whole family has a big meal in the afternoon, and typically chicken, goose, seafood will be on the table. Then, we prepare a table of food on the roof that includes different kinds of mooncakes and fruit. At about 8:00-9:00p.m, we can see the whole neighborhood doing the same thing and chatting with each other. Also, all the family members sit around the table to eat, enjoy the full moon, and send good wishes to each other. Now, in Chicago, my family and I seldom celebrate this festival since my whole family has to work, and they get off late. In addition, we do not have enough time to prepare everything, and we can’t go to the roof enjoy the moon.

Besides the traditional food on the day, Chinese people also have customary activities. The notable parts of celebrating this festival are carrying the bright lantern and playing the traditional game, Dengmi, which involves writing riddles on the lantern which other people try to guess the answers. Children will play the toy lanterns with music, and the adults will make a variety of the paper lanterns. People will also hang the lanterns in the front of house. In addition, I am from a small village called Panlongli in Guangdong Province, and it is common for people to play Dengmi. If people can get the answer in one minute, they will get a prize, such as doll, toy, or snacks. However, when I arrived in Chicago, I never see the lanterns because no stores carry them, even the Chinese stores. Even if I have many Chinese friends here, I do not play Dengmi anymore. People need to go to work, and no one wants to organize this celebration. Moreover, not everyone has free time to join. Consequently, I have lost these traditional activities in my new home.

Perhaps the most important part of Mid-Autumn Festival is barbecue party with my friends. During the party, my friends and I will dance and play poker. If someone loses the game, the winners will draw on the loser’s face. It is so exciting and funny. At the end of the party, we would share our secrets with each other, and we would help each other when we have problems. Also, we will make some paper boats and sky lanterns, and we will release them with our wishes. This is the best way to pray because people say the boats can float to the ocean, and the lanterns can rise to sky. Then our wish will come true. Moreover, my friends and I would set off fireworks. In contrast, now in Chicago, I might have party with my friends, but we do not share our stories, and we always take care of our own problems. I am even worried about my friends who will share my secrets with other people if I tell them. However, it is hard to keep the secret to myself, so I will chat with my friends back home on QQ. Besides, we can’t release sky lanterns or set off fireworks in Chicago because fireworks are not allowed. When Mid-Autumn Day arrives, I really miss the old days with my friends in China.

I have changed the way I celebrate on the Mid-Autumn Festival since I came to Chicago. For example, I lost many delicious foods, traditional activities, and the wonderful private parties with my friends. Now, the Mid-Autumn Festival is approaching, and I will miss this festival again. However, I will never forget what I have on this special day because this traditional culture has left a deep impression on me. Although the celebration in Chicago is not the same as China, I am happy that Chinese people in Chicago could remember to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Furthermore, though people in Chicago use the simplest way to celebrate, they will not forget the significance of the Mid-Autumn Festival as a family reunion.