Students came together Sept. 29 to celebrate the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, participating in an evening filled with traditional activities, such as mooncake tasting, lantern building and student performances.
This year’s celebration was hosted by numerous campus organizations, including the Office of China Programs, the Asian Student Association (ASA), the Chinese Student and Scholar Association, the Asian Studies Program and the Office of International Students and Scholars.
“Typically we’ve had Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations before on campus, but a lot of it has been spearheaded by China programs,” said Kenneth Chang ’26, co-president of ASA. “This year is really the first time ASA has had any role.”
These organizations collaborated on the event through planning and preparing the decorations, marketing and food. The festival is celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth month on the Chinese calendar, which usually falls during September or October on the Gregorian calendar.
For students like Alyssa Woung ’27, who performed a song and dance with her Chinese language class and helped plan the event as ASA’s cultural ambassador, the event was not only a way to celebrate the holiday, but also a way to bring together people from different cultural backgrounds.
“It’s important because it gets the word out there and makes it more inclusive for people of color [and] people of different cultures, bringing people together,” Woung said.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time that celebrates family, an aspect students and staff alike conveyed during their on-campus celebration by bringing together those who celebrate and those new to the holiday.
“I hope they become more intrigued with it,” Woung said. “They tasted food and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I needed more.’ The bigger conversation was bringing awareness and less discrimination on campus.”
With a celebration like the Mid-Autumn Festival, organizations were able to bring more awareness to different cultures and traditions to the campus community.
Julie Yu, Ph.D., the director of China Program and Chinese Program, said the celebration was extremely important to St. Joe’s community.
“Celebrations like this are an opportunity to celebrate our rich cultural diversity and heritage,” Yu wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk. “And to share knowledge and joy with one another, building community and togetherness.”
A way to bring a piece of home for some and a new tradition and appreciation for others, the Mid- Autumn Festival functions to unify all regardless of their cultural background.
“The festival’s symbolism of unity, like the moon’s brightness, reminds us that we are part of a global community,” Yu wrote. “And that kindness and understanding can bridge cultural gaps, strengthening our diverse community.”
