In the eighth month of the lunar calendar, when the full moon shines, an East Asian harvest festival known as Tet Trung Thu, or Mid-Autumn Moon, takes place.
Dat Lam, an electrical engineering major at Salt Lake Community College, will be hosting an event to teach other students about this tradition and what it honors.
“We believe family is the most powerful thing that can hold everyone together, and help people pass through every obstacle that they meet in their life,” Lam says. “Full moon festival becomes an occasion for everyone to spend time for their families.”
He goes on to explain the basic elements that appear at every moon festival.
“First, mooncake will be the main traditional food to appear in every store and supermarket,” Lam says.
Children and families buy mooncakes for each other and gather outside to watch the full moon. Some families might even regale the tale of the moon fairy coming down to earth, one hand holding a lantern, and the other holding a mooncake.
The event will be held Sept. 12 from 11 a.m. to noon at the West Valley Center and is open to everyone. Mooncakes will be served.
“I want students to learn that their families are the most important thing and can always be relied on,” Lam says.
