Celebrations of Fall: Vietnamese and Slovak Traditions
By. KAMHOLZ-ROVNAK, JORDAN

            As we get ready to celebrate some favorite traditions and holidays in America the Vietnamese will celebrate “Trung-Thu” and Slovakians will celebrate “All Souls Day.”  Both holidays are quite similar to America’s holidays of Halloween and Thanksgiving. They both highlight ancestral and family values and traditions. However, there are differences and these differences make the celebratory days unique.

On the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, which is October 3rd 2009, the day of the full moon, the Vietnamese celebrate their fall holidays. It is known as “Trung-Thu” which is very much like a combination of Halloween and Thanksgiving. Celebrations occur mainly over the weekend and it is also called “Mid Autumn Festival.” Vietnamese families plan the day around the children. There are many activities planned for the children such as: arts and crafts, performing dances, and contests to win prizes or scholarships. At dawn, parents give children colorful lanterns usually shaped as fishes, stars, and butterflies so they can participate in the candle lit lantern procession. The lanterns represent brightness while the procession represents success. As the lantern spins around the candle it represents the Earth circling the sun.  The procession travels around the neighborhood filling it with lights and songs, creating a definite a sense of community.

 Unlike Americans and Vietnamese, Slovaks only have one major fall holiday and it is known as “All Souls Day. According to Juraj Rovnak “All Souls Day,” celebrated on November 2nd, is a day when family members go to visit graves to commemorate family, friends, and relatives. It is also known as "Day of the Dead". People light candles, bring flowers, and pray for the dead to rest in peace. If a visit to the grave isn’t feasible people simply light candles at the window. At night it is a phenomenal sight to see all the candles burning visible for miles.  Prayer are offered for the souls in “purgatory,” so  sins may be forgiven before the souls enter heaven.

While these holidays are very different from American celebrations in terms of the day and customs, the one similarity is the focus and the celebration on the family unit.