Community Corner

Riverside Celebrates Chinese 'Thanksgiving'

The Moon Festival, also known as the "Mid-Autumn Festival," is a Chinese holiday, receiving treatment equal to that of Thanksgiving in the U.S., according to festival organizers.

One of the most important dates on the Chinese calendar -- the "Moon Festival" -- will be celebrated Thursday in Riverside with dancing, storytelling and food.

The Riverside Metropolitan Museum has a full slate of activities planned to coincide with the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, all of which will be centered at the museum's Heritage House, located at 8193 Magnolia Ave.

The Moon Festival, also known as the "Mid-Autumn Festival," is a Chinese holiday, receiving treatment equal to that of Thanksgiving in the U.S., according to festival organizers.

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The city's celebration also serves as an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of Chinese immigrants, organizers said. Chinese laborers toiled in Riverside's citrus fields, worked in area packing houses and provided household services going back to the early 1880s, according to the city.

Thursday's celebration will get underway at 6 p.m. with servings of pastries, or "moon cakes," and tea, followed by a Lion Dance performance, chopstick training, games, crafts and a story about the legend of the "rabbit on the moon."

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Cooking demonstrations are also planned, and Chinese artifacts and photographs that chronicle Chinese immigrant life in Riverside will be on display.

After dusk, visitors will be given the opportunity to do some moon gazing with several high-powered telescopes, organizers said.

—City News Service



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