Under sparkling moonlight, children hold lovely lanterns and frolic on streets, families gather to talk and enjoy fragrant cakes, and lively trays of fruits glistening in candle-light. That is just the day of Vietnamese children, the day of family reunion – Mid-Autumn Festival.

On the days before Mid-Autumn festival, many streets in Vietnam became colorful and vividly by traditional or half-traditional toys for children – star-lanterns, “den keo quan” (rotating paper lanterns), drums, masks, “to he” or lion-head. Most of toys are domestic products made in Vietnam. Seemingly tradition gradually come back.

Traditional toys – Source: Dantri

Star-lanterns – Source: Dantri

Traditional drums – Source: Dantri

Lion-heads – Source: Dantri

Another traditional toy – Source: Infonet

Puppetry – Source: Infonet

“To he” – looks quite global

Mid-Autumn Festival will be not Mid-Autumn Festival if there is no moon cake: grilled cakes and sticky rice cakes. On streets, red and yellow prevail by boxes of moon cakes at bustling shops and decorative patterns.

In Vietnam, Mid-Autumn festival is known as Children’s Festival because the meaning of the day emphasizes on children. Vietnamese people believed that children, being innocent and pure, had the closest connection to the sacred and natural world. Being close to children was considered as a way to connect with animist spirits and deities. In the festival, adults will give traditional toys and food for children, and hold lantern marching ceremony for them.

Mid-Autumn festival takes place on the best beautiful full-moon day in the year, the 15^th of 8^th lunar month. Mid-autumn in Northern provinces are depicted with elegant and delicate features; Central Vietnam with funny festivals and Southern Vietnam full of warming. The festival is also the time to give presents (normally moon cakes) for grandparents, parents, relatives, partners, customers, etc as a way to show gratitude.

While the Chinese usually organizes dragon dance performance on this festival, Vietnamese people hold lion dance (or unicorn dance). Lion-dance groups parade on the streets, going to houses asking for permission to perform for them. If the host agrees, the “lion” will get in and begin dancing as a blessing of good fortune and prosperity for the family. In return, the host offers lucky money to show their thankfulness. Other ancient traditions like “trong quan singing” and hanging “den keo quan” (rotating paper lanterns) still uphold in some areas.

Lion dance

Den keo quan

During the eve-evening and the evening of the festival, children holding lanterns along with lion dance groups parade over streets, village paths and lanes in pulsating drumbeat. Families arrange fabulous trays of fruits, moon cakes and candy in front of house, light candle and may carry out some traditional worshipping rites. At the moment that moon rises on high, children will sing, contemplate bright moon and deal out trays of food in a merry atmosphere.

Children hold lanterns and march

Tray of fruits and moon cakes

Mid-autumn festival is one of the most joyful festivals in the country, so traveling to Vietnam on this occasion, travelers will be immersed in a vivid, radiant space with childish colors and warming of families.