I have been in the U.S. for four years. From the time I stepped in USA, I have started have a little sick at heart each time I saw a moon-cake. Mid-autumn festival is one of four biggest festivals in china. It is in August fifteenth of Chinese calendar. Chinese people would admire the moon at the day. It is hard for me to practice Mid-autumn festival in USA.
The ways we practice at Mid-autumn festival have been changed. In china, At that day, Chinese people would sit out with some snacks to admire the moon. I always anticipate the Mid-autumn festival when I was still in China. At the day, school would let us go home early so that we can prepare for the night. At night, parents would cook some special food and prepare a small table outside. Children would hold a lantern to play out. It is a relative day, family would stay together and forget their vexation just admire the moon. At the day of Mid-autumn festival in the U.S., we would have a sumptuous dinner and that’s it. We wouldn’t hang out to admire the moon, didn’t do anything special except the dinner. There is also would have a Mid-autumn festival show at Chinatown, but it almost the same every year, nobody have any expectation at it. I never had any festival feeling at Mid-autumn festival, the day for me just look like a common day.
Reunion is hard to practice in U.S. In china, people would have family reunion at Mid-autumn festival. Because of that, school would allow students back home earlier or just let them rest at that day. Some companies also do the same thing for their employee. So family can get together to talk and play. But in U.S. because of it is not the holiday of this country, we are not allowed to back to school earlier. Also some parents would not allow holding the day with their family. I remember three years ago, my father was working in a restaurant. At Mid-autumn day, we waited for him back home until the day go to the end.
I remember I have a dangerous story at Mid-autumn festival. At the Mid-autumn festival in China, candle also one of the important things. Some people like to collect lot of candle at that day then burn them. It is a dangerous thing because it is easy to have fire and hurt your body. One day of Mid-autumn festival, because of we always heard that burning candle is dangerous, but we had never done that or saw the other people done that before. So we decided to try it. We collected some candles and put them in a box, then burned it. At the beginning, it was beautiful because some little stars jumped in the fire, but then, as the temperature increase, the candles started to burn out. Some candles jumped out the box with fire. We scared at that time, but it was great that a man saw us at that time. He quickly got some water for us. It was a danger day, but I still happy, it became one of my important memories. And something like this would not happen in USA. In U.S. Chinese children wouldn’t hold a lantern out at Mid-autumn festival. Also burning candle is not allowed.
Immigrants lose their culture. My mother always says that “there is no any culture feeling at Chinese holiday in chicago, immigrant should focus on their job every day, they don’t have any time to spent any culture holiday.” I also have the same feeling at that way, but I think immigrant people here are trying to get close to their culture. Even though people are busy, they still celebrate the holiday of their culture. I also couldn’t imagine living without Chinese culture, that wouldn’t be myself if I was born in another country.
