By: Sandra Vo, Staff Writer
Tuesday, September 21st marked the day of the 2021 Moon Festival, an event that holds cultural significance for a variety of Asian cultures with slight variations in origin for different countries. What unifies this event is the celebration of the Autumn Harvest that coincides with the Harvest Moon.
Regis University’s Asian Student Alliance (ASA) hosted their own version of the Moon Festival in front of the student center last Wednesday. A table with different flavors of mooncakes was set up for people to sample the traditional pastry, which can run upwards of $40 for a box of four. Accompanying this were calligraphy and lantern tables, in which people were able to try their hand at recreating Chinese characters on paper or creating decorative lanterns for themselves. (Truly a brutal reminder that Chinese calligraphy is just as difficult as it appears).
Undeniably the most popular part of the event was the arrival of Chinese food, individually packaged in to-go boxes that were packed to the brim. People were able to select from orange chicken, sesame chicken, noodles, rice, vegetables, and the like. A single box was enough to constitute about two or three reasonably portioned meals and packed with all the flavors one would expect from traditional Chinese cuisine.
Overall, the ASA’s Moon Festival was filled with good people, great food, and a relaxed atmosphere that welcomed people with a taste of a celebration (and for many, a homeland) thousands of miles away.