Nhat Linh Dang, Special to The Denisonian–
The warm glow of lanterns filled the room as students gathered around tables, crafting colorful cards and sampling an array of mooncakes.
Laughter echoed over the gentle beat of traditional songs, blending with the soft hum of conversations as Denison Asian Student Union (DASU) and Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) welcomed the campus community to their Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a centuries-old tradition in many Asian cultures, honoring family, harvest, and luminous full moon.
At Denison, the celebration served as both a cultural showcase and a community gathering.
Throughout the evening, students explored tables representing different Asian countries, each featuring unique cultural activities and traditional games. One of the most popular stations was the Japanese table, where Nguyen Tam Kien ’29, Vietnam, demonstrated Kendama, a traditional Japanese skill toy that quickly drew a crowd of enthusiastic participants.
“I guided people on how to play Kendama, and I really enjoyed it,” Nguyen said. “I believe this event has a huge impact on the community on campus, especially for Asian students because it carries culture and engagement.”
For many students, the event offered a sense of home and belonging. Jaden (Huaijin Xie) ’29, a first-year student from China, shared how meaningful the celebration felt.
“For Asian students who cannot travel back home, we now decorate Denison to become a place that is more homelike,” he said. “We also learn about other countries’ cultures and traditions while celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival together. It’s a really great way to understand the community I’m living in.”
Students shared in the excitement, expressing how joyful and meaningful the celebration felt for everyone involved.
“As an event organizer, I think the event went very well, especially when people showed up more than I expected,” said Hal Le ’28, a biology major from Vietnam.
“Everyone really enjoyed the food and activities.”
Joyce Lee ’26, senior advisor of DASU and former president, reflected on how the event brought together not only students, but also staff and faculty.
“I think events like this help bring the community together,” Lee said. “If you look around, there are a lot of people, even staff and faculty, bringing their families to play games. The foods and crafts also foster that sense of community here.”
As the evening came to a close, lanterns glowed softly across campus, symbolizing light, hope, and unity. For many, the Mid-Autumn Festival was more than just a celebration of culture. It was a reminder that even far from home, community can still feel like family.