Greetings:
All of us at China Insight hope your summer has been a fulfilling one, although a bit hotter for my taste and the month of August made the top 10 list for the amount of rainfall in one month. We are pleased to reconnect with you after enjoying our own summer hiatus that we normally take during the month of August. I’m certain our all-volunteer staff had a chance to recharge.
While Minnesotans welcome Labor Day signifying the end of summer and await the arrival of Indian summer, Chinese Americans get to celebrate yet another festival. (Mainland Chinese gets Sept. 19-21 off.) The Moon Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which occurs on Sept. 21 this year.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated by East and Southeast Asian people marking the end of the autumn harvest. Commonly known as the Moon Festival or the Mooncake Festival, it is an important holiday for the Chinese where families get together, worship the moon, and celebrate the harvest.
The names of the festival and the customs in each country and region differ. In Mandarin, it is Zhōngqiū Jié (中秋節). However, the main essence of the festival remains the same: family, prayers, and thanksgiving.
This festival has been in existence for more than 3000 years, dating back to the emperors of China who worshipped the full moon, thanking it for prolific harvests. It is the second-most important festival coming right after the Chinese New Year
Many local organizations are celebrating the Moon Festival. We have included a few:
· Kicking off early in the Twin Cities will the celebration held by the Minnesota China Friendship Garden Society as they launch phase 2 of the garden (pages 1 & 6).
· The U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association-Minnesota Chapter will hold a Moon Festival Family Fest on Sept. 25 (p. 9)
· The Mall of America celebrates the Moon Festival on Sept. 26. (p. 7)
Unfortunately, the battle against COVID-19 continues. Therefore, it is imperative to show your appreciation to those frontline heroes leading the fight against the pandemic by supporting and donating to a fundraising event scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 11.For all details visit https://www.apiamnappreciates.org/
As always, thank you for your support and please do not hesitate to contact Elaine Dunn or me if you would like to share any ideas about what we can do to make China Insight the newspaper for the community.