Houston Community News >>
9/6/2008 Houston– The Vietnamese Culture
and Science Association (VCSA), in collaboration with The Children’s
Museum of Houston, will sponsor the Mid-Autumn Children’s Festival, 2008
to promote Vietnamese Culture to mainstream society and to introduce to
the children of Houston the beautiful traditions of the Vietnamese
children in the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The event will be held Saturday, September 13, 2008 at The Children’s Museum of Houston from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
In Houston, there are approximately 150,000 Vietnamese-Americans who contribute significantly to American society with their achievements in technology, science, finance, business and politics. They represent the largest Vietnamese population in Texas. VCSA plays an integral role in the education, culture, and leadership of this population and its mission to contribute to American society as a whole.
Based in Houston, Texas, VCSA was founded in 1990. It has members throughout the U.S. and Canada with chapters in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, Memphis, San Diego, Washington DC and Toronto, Canada. VCSA promotes excellence in education, leadership, and skills development through culture and science. The organization encourages multi-generational and cross-cultural collaborations by cultivating civic participation in the mainstream and Vietnamese America.
To encourage the younger generations of Vietnamese-Americans to learn about their heritage and culture, and also to share with mainstream society one of Vietnam’s beautiful traditions, VCSA annually hosts the Mid-Autumn Children’s Festival in collaboration with The Children’s Museum of Houston. The Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival, or Tet Trung Thu (tet-troong-thoo) is a festival held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar.
Back in Vietnam, farming parents worked hard to prepare for the harvest each year, leaving their children to play on their own. This festival is meant for the parents to make up for lost time with their children. During the festival, children are encouraged by their parents to participate in various arts and crafts such as making masks and lanterns. Parents also give their children moon cakes and other treats while telling them fairy tales under the moon. One particular tale is the story of Chu Cuoi. One day Chu Cuoi had found a very special medicinal tree that could cure many diseases. The tree was uprooted by a strong wind, and in an effort to keep the tree, Chu Cuoi grabbed onto the roots. The tree flew all the way to the moon with him clinging to the roots.
To this day, on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Lunar Calendar, you can see Chu Cuoi sitting at the foot of the tree on the full moon.
Like the festivals of old, VCSA’s celebration on September 13 will feature many fun activities. Visitors can enjoy cultural performances such as lion dances and participate in the fun crafts booths such as lantern making and face painting. They will also be able to taste traditional moon cakes and hear folk tales told in the style of the old Vietnamese Tradition.
The Children’s Museum of Houston is located at 1500 Binz, Houston, Texas 77004. Admission is $5.00 per person and free for children under 2 years old.
For more information, please call the VCSA Center at (281) 933-8118 or visit our web site at www.vcsa.org.
The event will be held Saturday, September 13, 2008 at The Children’s Museum of Houston from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.
In Houston, there are approximately 150,000 Vietnamese-Americans who contribute significantly to American society with their achievements in technology, science, finance, business and politics. They represent the largest Vietnamese population in Texas. VCSA plays an integral role in the education, culture, and leadership of this population and its mission to contribute to American society as a whole.
Based in Houston, Texas, VCSA was founded in 1990. It has members throughout the U.S. and Canada with chapters in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, Memphis, San Diego, Washington DC and Toronto, Canada. VCSA promotes excellence in education, leadership, and skills development through culture and science. The organization encourages multi-generational and cross-cultural collaborations by cultivating civic participation in the mainstream and Vietnamese America.
To encourage the younger generations of Vietnamese-Americans to learn about their heritage and culture, and also to share with mainstream society one of Vietnam’s beautiful traditions, VCSA annually hosts the Mid-Autumn Children’s Festival in collaboration with The Children’s Museum of Houston. The Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival, or Tet Trung Thu (tet-troong-thoo) is a festival held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar Calendar.
Back in Vietnam, farming parents worked hard to prepare for the harvest each year, leaving their children to play on their own. This festival is meant for the parents to make up for lost time with their children. During the festival, children are encouraged by their parents to participate in various arts and crafts such as making masks and lanterns. Parents also give their children moon cakes and other treats while telling them fairy tales under the moon. One particular tale is the story of Chu Cuoi. One day Chu Cuoi had found a very special medicinal tree that could cure many diseases. The tree was uprooted by a strong wind, and in an effort to keep the tree, Chu Cuoi grabbed onto the roots. The tree flew all the way to the moon with him clinging to the roots.
To this day, on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Lunar Calendar, you can see Chu Cuoi sitting at the foot of the tree on the full moon.
Like the festivals of old, VCSA’s celebration on September 13 will feature many fun activities. Visitors can enjoy cultural performances such as lion dances and participate in the fun crafts booths such as lantern making and face painting. They will also be able to taste traditional moon cakes and hear folk tales told in the style of the old Vietnamese Tradition.
The Children’s Museum of Houston is located at 1500 Binz, Houston, Texas 77004. Admission is $5.00 per person and free for children under 2 years old.
For more information, please call the VCSA Center at (281) 933-8118 or visit our web site at www.vcsa.org.
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