Hundreds of Brimbank locals gathered on Saturday, September 27 to celebrate the Mid-Autumn lantern festival — a harvest festival celebrated by many Asian communities.
Australian Vietnamese Arts and Culture president Mai Nguyen said the event was enjoyed by all.
“The Mid-Autumn Festival, or Moon Festival, is the second largest festival in Asian communities,” she said. “It is also known as the children’s festival held on the day that the moon is fullest and brightest, the time of harvesting in mid autumn.
“To celebrate this people display lanterns, children carry lanterns, and have a parade to celebrate, lighting up the streets.”
Ms Nguyen said the lantern-making workshop was the highlight of the day with more than 100 lanterns made by participants.
“This helps the children and family to learn new skills, connect with other families and have their own handmade lanterns to keep at the end of the parade,” she said.
“Two-hundred and fifty pre-made lanterns were also handed out and there were not enough. We will have many more next year to cope with the number of participants.”
The story of Chú Cuội, a Vietnamese folktale, was also told through performance in English and Vietnamese., with children singing and dancing along.
“There were participants from all backgrounds, all ages and genders,” Ms Nguyen said.
“The interactive dances attracted so many people. You could see their happiness. It clearly showed the celebration and the giving of thanks for the harvest, which was reflected in the shared activities and celebratory mood.”
