The Office of Global Education hosted its annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival on the Piazza on Thursday, September 26. The celebration was an opportunity for international students from Asia to showcase their culture and ease feelings of homesickness.
At the event, dishes were served from China Buffet, such as fried rice and chicken. For dessert, guests were also encouraged to share mooncakes with one another, as is traditionally done in these celebrations. A skit entitled “Chang’e Flying to the Moon,” based on a Chinese folktale, was also performed by the Chinese class. That was followed by musical performances and video presentations that highlighted the cultures of China, Vietnam, and South Korea.
The event concluded with a series of riddles that the audience tried to solve, which is associated with the tradition of attaching riddles to lanterns released into the sky. Lanterns were not released according to original plans due to fire hazard concerns.
This festival is celebrated in several Asian countries, which many international students are missing this time of year.
“A lot of our Asian students are very homesick on this day,” said Mei Chi Piletz, Executive Director of Global Education. “This is the day when families get to sit around the table, eat, and chat. It’s a family thing. Also at the same time, it is to give thanks for what they have so far this year.”
Two of these students were Huyan Dang and Nhan Le from Vietnam. Both are part of Mississippi College’s intensive English program. For the program, they sang “Vietnam is My Heart” in Vietnamese.
“I’ve been here more than a year and no one really knows about Vietnam,” Dang said. “That’s why I want to sing a song about my country, so everyone will know about that. I’m so proud to be able to sing at MC.”
“When I’m in the States, I am so homesick, but I want to show my love for my country,” Le said. “I want everyone to know about my country. My country is so beautiful. The people in my country are so friendly.”
For attendees like sophomore social work major Bianca Rost, the festival was an educational experience.
“I think it’s important to learn about other cultures, and I’m so glad I got to do that tonight,” Rost said.
