US cities celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival

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Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations are underway in the U.S., honoring an ancient tradition rooted in East and Southeast Asian cultures. From lantern parades to mooncake tastings, families and communities across the country are coming together to admire the season’s full moon and embrace the togetherness symbolized by the occasion.

• About the festival: The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, has been celebrated for thousands of years in Asian countries like China, South Korea and Vietnam. It falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month — or Sept. 17 this year — coinciding with the harvest season. Traditional observances include lighting lanterns, sharing mooncakes and telling the myth of Chang’e, the moon goddess who took an immortal elixir and now lives on the moon with her rabbit. The festival is also known for family reunions, allowing members to gather and admire the fullest moon of the year. In China, the festival dates back to the Tang Dynasty and was originally a way to offer thanks for the harvest.

• How U.S. cities are celebrating: In San Francisco, celebrations kicked off early over the weekend, with local businesses like Asian food delivery platform Hungry Panda delivering special treats. Meanwhile, a Moon Festival Parade was held in Queens, New York City, closing three streets. Across the country, communities marked the festival with various foods, lantern fairs and performances. George Kao, who runs the Royal China restaurant in Dallas, shared mooncakes with customers and reflected on the myth of Chang’e. He recalled looking up at the moon as a child, hoping to catch a glimpse of the moon goddess and her rabbit. “Her husband is missing her so on the brightest moon, he prepares the mooncake,” Kao told WFAA.

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