Vietnam's Mid-Autumn Festival: Over-Scheduled Children Face 'Festival Fatigue' and Waste

In Vietnam's urban centers, a phenomenon of children being 'rushed' to attend a continuous stream of Mid-Autumn Festival events is emerging. Multiple parents report that their children participate in up to five or more festival events within a single week, bringing home an abundance of sweets and toys, much of which quickly loses its appeal. Ms. Phuong Thanh, 39, from Buon Ma Thuot, Dak Lak province, shared that her three children have already attended three Mid-Autumn Festival events, with two more scheduled. Her children are so overwhelmed with sweets and lanterns from previous events that their home is overflowing, leading them to decline additional gifts. In Cau Giay, Hanoi, Ms. Thu Hang's children have had their schedules packed with Mid-Autumn Festival events for the past week, starting with an event at their mother's company. They received mooncakes, lanterns, and vouchers for a fair. Despite enjoying the outings, the gifts they bring home often go unused, with Ms. Hang eventually having to clear them away. "The children seem happy to be out and about, but the lanterns and sweets they bring home end up being discarded. Ultimately, I'm the one who has to clean them up," she said. Ethnologist Dr. Bui Xuan Dinh points out that the excessive events experienced by children today reflect material prosperity and community engagement. However, he suggests that instead of just distributing sweets, organizations should focus on providing opportunities to learn traditional customs and craft traditional toys to preserve the festival's original meaning. Psychologist Ms. Le Minh Huan from the An Nhien Applied Psychology-Education Center in Ho Chi Minh City analyzes that excessive event participation can turn into a "task to be completed" for children. She notes that continuous exposure to noise, crowds, and repetitive activities like lion dances and gift-receiving can diminish a child's anticipation. She advises parents to consider their children's interests and rest time, and not to force them into events when they are tired. Conversely, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh from Nghia Do, Hanoi, shared that her children remain enthusiastic because each event offers a different experience. At school, her children learned to make traditional toys from straw and banana leaves. On weekends, instead of going to places that distribute sweets, the family visited the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology for activities like making 'to he' figurines, paper mache masks, and playing traditional games. "Children today are not lacking in material possessions. What I want to cultivate in my children are cultural memories," Ms. Thanh stated, emphasizing the value of experiences over material wealth.