Vietnam’s Full Moon Festival: Family Reunions, Lanterns, Mooncakes and Lion Dances

As the sky turns clearer and the sunlight takes on a golden hue in Northern Vietnam, it can only mean one thing – autumn is on its way, and with it comes the Full Moon Festival, one of the country’s most significant celebrations. This year, the Mid-autumn festival will be held September 29, 2023.

Here in Vietnam, this festival is called Tết Trung Thu. Although the Mid-autumn Festival / Full moon Festival has its roots in China and is celebrated across many Asian countries, the Vietnamese version boasts its own unique traditions and legends. One of the most well-known tales involves a man named Cuội, who clung onto a magical banyan tree as it floated up to the moon. Legend has it that if you gaze closely at the full moon, you can see the shadow of a man sitting beneath a tree. To light the way for Cuội from the moon, children parade lanterns through the streets on the night of the Mid-autumn Festival.

For many Vietnamese, especially those who live in rural areas and work as farmers, the celebration of the harvest is an integral part of Tết Trung Thu. This joyous occasion marks the end of a season’s hard work and provides an opportunity to spend time with loved ones.

To welcome the full moon day, families across Vietnam make preparations by setting up a fruit tray and mooncakes on their ancestral altar. This is a way of showing respect and gratitude to their ancestors before gathering with loved ones to indulge in the sweet treats. Mooncakes are traditionally shaped in round or square molds and decorated with intricate designs of flowers, carp, and geometric patterns. It’s a wonderful time for families to come together, celebrate their heritage, and enjoy each other’s company under the light of the full moon.

The festival can never be complete without mooncakes – a traditional Vietnamese Mid Autumn Festival Food.

As the festival is around the corner, the streets of Vietnam come alive with the sounds of lion dancers practicing their routines. Mooncake stalls pop up on every corner, offering a variety of mystery cakes and fillings in elaborately decorated boxes. One of the most popular Trung Thu lanterns is the star lantern made with red cellophane, which can be found for sale on streets all over Vietnam in the days leading up to the festival.

Not only locals, but also foreign tourists are warmly welcome to join in this special festival. Surely, you will have much fun when taking part in the crowds, seeing children carrying the lanterns, eating cakes and receiving gifts of celebration during the Mid-Autumn Festival!