Mid-Autumn Festival

In the 19th century
In the 19th century, according to Phan Ke Binh in the book Vietnamese customs, “in the 19th century, during the day, people prepared offerings to worship their ancestors, and at night, they set up offerings to enjoy the moon. The top of the tray is a moon cake and many kinds of fruit cakes are used, dyed in colorful colors: green, red, white and yellow. Girls in the city compete with each other in their skills, peeling papaya into flowers, and molding dough into shrimp and whales. Decorations are often simple with papier-mâché items such as butterflies, praying mantises, elephants, horses, unicorns, lions, dragons, deer, shrimps, and fish. Activities usually only include lion processions, drums, and cymbals.

To the 20th century

Entering the renovation period, tin toys appeared, from butterflies flapping their wings, rabbits playing drums, hand-pulled carts, trumpets, drums, cars… The most typical and only one remaining today is the tin boat. Children, the main target of the Mid-Autumn Festival, often gather together to watch the Lion Dance, watch the moon, light lanterns, play with the neighbors’ children, and display fruit trays. It can be seen that, although there were many difficulties during the subsidy and renovation period, the spirit of joy during the Mid-Autumn Festival, especially among children, always looked forward to each Mid-Autumn Festival to have fun with friends.