Haydee Perez
Staff Writer
Roughly 60 people gathered in Sneaky Park Wednesday night to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday.
On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, this celebration consists of eating mooncakes, a traditional Chinese pastry, and celebrating under the fullest moon.
Mooncakes are thin crusted cakes with a filling, made in a circular shape, which symbolizes completeness and reunion.
They are meant to be eaten alongside tea, while gazing at the moon.
“It is a good way to know about different cultures,” senior physics major Justine Alandy-dy said. “Even if you do not know what the celebration was for, you can still come together to socialize.”
Because the moon is a symbol of unity and harmony, the festival is a three-day public holiday in China, meant to give thanks in solidarity.
A sign composed of glow sticks that spelled out “food” led to the festival.
“It is the Thanksgiving of the Chinese,” senior accounting major and International Student Organization club President Matthew Wong said. “People gain a culture touch and better understanding of another culture.”
Light music created a welcoming atmosphere that encouraged people to join the festivities.
This was the third year that the International Students Organization hosted the Mid-Autumn festival at La Verne’s main campus.
Wong said this was their most successful one because they had better decorations and more people came to celebrate.
Among the crowd, people from different nationalities enjoyed the festival.
The Mooncake festival aided in bringing a better understanding to the reasoning behind the celebration and cultural appreciation.
“The music drew me over, and I was surprised to see many different ethnicities partaking in the festival,” sophomore criminology major Alicia Martinez said.
The ISO organizes multiple events throughout the semester to promote the appreciation of different cultures.
Haydee Perez can be reached at haydee.perez@laverne.edu.
