The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in many East Asian communities and is the second most important festival in China after Chinese New Year. Celebration and practices vary country to country. In China, it is a time for family reunions and gatherings, while in Vietnam, it is called The Children's Festival as children are believed to symbolize purity and innocence. Also referred to as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival, it traditionally falls on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, which is in September or early October.
On the 15th of the lunar calendar, each month, the moon is at its roundest and brightest, symbolizing togetherness and reunion in Chinese culture. Families get together to express their familial love by eating dinner together, appreciating the moon, eating mooncakes, etc. The harvest moon is traditionally believed to be the brightest of the year.
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For additional education and personal development related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the following resources are available: DDEI Education and Resources, DEI & Antiracism Resources from the UNC Libraries, the Education Equity Toolkit from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the UNITE workshops for faculty, staff, and students.
