Vol. 76 / No. 7
October 8, 2015
Photo: Charles A. Smith Chinese Students and Scholars Association members perform dance during Chinese Moon Festival.
Festival celebrates culture and diversity
Jackson State students showcase Chinese culture at Chinese Moon Festival Brittney Williams MC Contributor/Staff Sounds of laughter and conversation filled the air of the Jacob L. Reddix Complex General Purpose Room on Oct. 2 during the annual Chinese Moon Festival. The Chinese Moon Festival, also known as the Lunar MidAutumn Festival, always falls on the 15th of the 8th month, according to the Chinese Lunar Calendar. The festival originated from the Chinese belief that the moon had a connection with the seasons and agricultural production. On this day, Chinese families make sacrifices to the moon, eat
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moon cakes with their families, and express love for family and friends far away. It is known as the moon festival because at that time of year, the moon is at its roundest and brightest. The celebration, sponsored by JSU Global and the Chinese Students and Scholars Association, started with a warm welcome and traditional Chinese food. During the dinner, guests ate moon cakes. The cakes symbolize the reunion of family and evokes longing for relatives and friends. Yu Bao hosted the moon cake ceremony and said that the event reminded her of how she used to celebrate the festival
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with her family. “I’m homesick. This is the second year of my masters here... so I miss my family so much,” said Bao, a graduate student majoring in business administration from China. She added: “We get together and watch the moon and watch the ceremony on television and we will eat a moon cake together.” With a goal of promoting cultural exchange and diversity, attendees at the festival were also exposed to Chinese poetry, calligraphy, a tea ceremony, and singing. “Tradition is very important in Chinese culture,” said Courtney Walker, a junior English major from East St.
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Louis, Ill. “All the performances and speeches taught a lesson about how the Moon Festival started and how they still carry on the traditions today.” The evening continued with musical performances, dances, games. The Adhiambo School and JSU’s Chinese 101 class joined t to sing “Two Tigers” and a poem, “Contemplating Moonlight.” Later a performance from the Joy Luck Club Dance Team adorned in traditional Tangzhuang and Qipao clothing thrilled the audience. The event ended with Tangzhuang and Qipao Fashion show. Gerson Guevara, a freshman political science major from
Austin Hill, Md., said the cultural aspect of the event made it a must see. “I am a person who really likes to learn about other cultures because I love learning about languages especially. So the more you learn about them, the more worldly you feel even though you don’t get to travel. It’s sort of like traveling while staying on campus,” said Guevara. Other guests in attendance were impressed with the authentic performances, costumes, and music. “I feel like we should experience other people’s culture at least once,” said Stephen Diew, a junior biology/pre-medicine major from Yazoo City, Miss.
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