Full-moon festival or Mid-autumn festival, which is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, is considered as a traditional festival for children in Vietnam...
Full-moon festival or Mid-autumn festival, which is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, is considered as a traditional festival for children in Vietnam. Most children in Khanh Hoa Province, irrespective of destiny and location, had a happy festival.
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| Children playing on Full-moon festival occasion |
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| Handicapped children also have an exciting festival. |
° Full-moon festival in mountainous regions
On September 19 evening, around 2,000 children in three communes of Khanh Dong, Khanh Binh and Khanh Hiep of Khanh Vinh District eagerly joined “Full-moon Festival” held at Nguyen Thai Binh Secondary School jointly by Khanh Hoa Province Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, the provincial Children Sponsoring Fund and the People’s Committee of Khanh Vinh District. Boys and girls in the mountainous region have a chance to play with colorful lanterns with many shapes and enjoy music items and comedies of the Moon Boy. A Raglai girl named Cao Thi Tuyet happily said, “When being announced about the festival night, I was so happy that I couldn’t sleep at that night. I’ve waited for it every hour. My house is 10 kilometers far from the school, so I had dinner very soon to come to the festival in time. I like to eat candies and I love to see the unicorn dance and comedies best.”
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| Making laterns for the Full-moon festival |
Tran Thai Linh, the principal of Nguyen Thai Binh Secondary School, said, “We want to bring a funny Mid-autumn night for the children most of whom are poor or of ethnic minority. Additionally, the festival is held right in the school in order that the children feel closer with their school. It’s also a way to encourage their studies.”
Ho Chi Duy, a teacher of the school, revealed, “To prepare for the night, the pupils among classes have joined a lantern making contest. A lot of lanterns with many different shapes like star, house, ship, school or rabbit have been made. The pupils love this activity very much. It’s also a chance for them to practice patience and team working. After the night, all the lanterns will be given to them to play at home.
A number of adults also attended the Mid-autumn festival at Nguyen Thai Binh Secondary School. Many of them are ethnic minority people. A mountaineer named Mau Thi Thanh in Khanh Binh Commune confided, “I stop my ploughing sooner than usual to come to this school to see the festival. We rarely see such an animated festival atmosphere like that.”
According to Le Binh, head of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs Bureau of Khanh Vinh District, most of 10,000 children in the district are poor while the district has few entertainment areas for them. Therefore, Mid-autumn festival is a time for them to play after classes.
° Moon comes everywhere
According to Deputy Director of the provincial Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, this year it took the provincial Children Sponsoring Fund VND35 million to buy 700 presents and hold Mid-autumn festival for children in two mountainous districts of Khanh Vinh and Khanh Son. Like Khanh Vinh, the Full-moon Festival in Khanh Son was very exciting. It attracted thousands of children in communes like Son Hiep, Son Binh, Son Lam,… in the district.
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| Music performance of Full-moon festival |
On September 20, at the provincial Education and Rehabilitation Center for Handicapped Children, there was a moving music show for 160 handicapped children. In the sounds of music and drums, the unlucky children performed songs and dances with radiant faces. They also were given presents by many sponsors, even foreign ones.
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| Children given presents |
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| Marie, a French sponsor, performs a Oriental dance. |
At Nha Trang SOS Children Village, we saw schoolboys painting unicorn heads and drums amorously in preparation for the Mid-autumn festival.
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| Decorating unicorn head |
Assistant Manager of the village Le Hung Nghe said, “Our village holds the Mid-autumn festival for our 170 children, especially 17 newcomers because this is their first time here. The festival has lantern parade, music show and party. Especially, the unicorn dance item is done by the children in the village. A 8-year-old orphan named Ngan who is new here said with an eager voice, “I have never enjoyed a Mid-autumn festival before. I’m looking forward to the festival this night.”
On September 21, a meaningful show to welcome the Full-moon festival was held for 500 needy children at the provincial Children’s House. The children came from social houses, compassion houses and pagodas in the province. Also on September 21 evening, 638 street children in four communes of Vinh Phuoc, Phuoc Dong, Vinh Luong (Nha Trang) and Dien Xuan (Dien Khanh District) joined a festival show and received presents.
Thus, like other normal children, most poor or unlucky ones in Khanh Hoa Province had a chance to enjoy a happy Moon festival this year. This was a great effort of the province with the aim to bring joys to all children on their festival occasion.
T.T
