Every year Vietnam celebrates 2 important HOLIDAY: TET and Mooncake Festival This presentation uncover s short history and inspiring story about Mooncakes Festival. Also the ECC English Club conducts its first Mooncake White Charity- Street giving of Mooncakes and Lantern to poor kids and beggars. Presented by Charlottec, September 2009

1. Mooncake Festival Mooncakes are Chinese pastries traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. This festival is for lunar worship and moon watching. Mooncakes are offered between friends, family or people while celebrating the festival, this year celebrated on the 3rd of October.

2. History Glimpse Mid-Autumn Festival It is intricately linked to the legends of Chang E, the mythical Moon Goddess of Immortality. According to “Li-Ji”, an ancient Chinese book recording customs and ceremonies, the Chinese Emperor should offer sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. The 15th day of the 8th lunar month is the day called “Mid-Autumn”. The night on August 15 is also called “Night of the Moon”. Under the Song Dynasty (420), the day was officially declared for Mid-Autumn Festival. Because of its central role in the Mid-Autumn festival, mooncakes remained popular even in recent years. For many, mooncakes form a central part of the Mid-Autumn festival experience such that it is now commonly known as 'Mooncake Festival'.

3. Mooncake Festival In Vietnam, mooncakes are known as bánhtrungthu(literally "Mid-Autumn cake") and may contain a variety of fillings, such as savory roasted chicken, mung beans, coconut or durian.

4. Mid-Autumn Festival The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, or in Chinese, Zhongqiu Jie(traditional Chinese: 中秋節), is a popular harvest festival celebrated by Chinese people and Vietnamese people (even though they celebrate it differently), dating back over 3,000 years to moon worship in China's Shang Dynasty. It was first called Zhongqiu Jie (literally "Mid-Autumn Festival") in the Zhou Dynasty.[3] In Malaysia and Singapore, it is also sometimes referred to as the Lantern Festival or Mooncake Festival.

5. Vietnamese Mid-Autum Festival Children celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival with traditional 5-pointed star shaped lantern; named "Tết Trung Thu" The Vietnamese version of the holiday recounts the legend of Cuội, whose wife accidentally urinated on a sacred banyan tree, taking him with it to the Moon. Every year, on the mid-autumn festival, children light lanterns and participate in a procession to show Cuội the way to Earth.

6. Vietnamese Mid-Autum Festival In Vietnam, Mooncakes are typically square rather than round, though round ones do exist. Besides the indigenous tale of the banyan tree, other legends are widely told including the story of the Moon Lady, the Jade Rabbit & the story of the carp who wanted to become a dragon. Lion Dancers are important event before & during Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival. If accepted by the host, "the lion" will come in and start dancing as a wish of luck and fortune and the host gives back lucky money to show thankfulness.

8. English With our community friends & caring hand, we can make a happier world with MOONCAKES and lots of smiles to share…….. Join the Mooncake White Charity Mission: share a caring moment to poor street people

10. MOONCAKES–20,000 vnd

12. TIME: 8PM TO 11:00 PM

14. MOONCAKE STREET CHARITY

16. SHARE A CARING MOMENTS TO POOR STREET PEOPLE LIVING ON THE STREETS OF SAIGON.