Community / A.C.E.
September 15, 2014
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11
Mooncakes and music featured
at Woodstock Library festival
By Kate Hubbard
The Asian Reporter
he Woodstock Library recently
welcomed visitors to its annual
Mid-Autumn Festival, a celebra-
tion traditionally held on the 15th day of
the eighth month of the lunar year. Also
called the Moon Festival, it is a joyful
way to celebrate the end of the harvest
with family, friends, and the larger com-
munity.
Dating back more than 3,000 years, the
Moon Festival is one of the most impor-
tant celebrations of the year in Chinese
culture. It is often also celebrated in
neighboring countries such as Japan,
Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, the
Philippines, and South Korea.
At the start of the gathering, Amber
Houston, a bilingual Chinese/English
librarian, told attendees about the history
of the festival and its importance to
Chinese culture. She talked about the
hidden messages in mooncakes, which
have historical significance in relation to
the coordination of a rebellion against
Mongolian invaders. She also shared how
every year, the festival is a time when
families reunite, share mooncakes, and
catch up with each other.
Guests were entertained with a story
read in Chinese as well as a singalong of
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in English
and Chinese. Teen musicians then played
folk songs on traditional instruments,
followed by young students of the nearby
Chinese immersion school who gave an
adorable martial-arts presentation. While
songs such as “Jasmine Flower” and
“Colorful Clouds Chasing the Moon” were
played, assistants circulated around the
room with delectable trays of mooncakes
for everyone to share.
Houston pointed out that the sweet
coconut mooncakes served were not the
traditional kind. Although different parts
of the country create their own varieties, a
traditional mooncake often features a
filling made with lotus seed paste and duck
egg yolks. Younger generations are intro-
ducing new flavors all the time, she said,
only limited by taste and imagination.
Mooncakes typically consist of dough
wrapped around a filling that is baked in
the shape of a full moon, which is
T
Without Warning comic
book provides earthquake
education to teenagers
A new comic book aimed at teaching
earthquake preparedness to teenagers
was released last month, just in time for
National Preparedness Month, which is
highlighted during September. The comic
book — Without Warning — is the result of
a collaborative effort between the Oregon
Office of Emergency Management (OEM),
Dark Horse Comics, and the Cascadia
Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW).
A 12-page, full-color comic book, Without
Warning addresses what can happen in
the aftermath of a major earthquake and
tsunami through a story about a girl who
lives on the Oregon coast and is trying to
reunite with her family after a major
Cascadia earthquake.
Oregon is located near the Cascadia
Subduction Zone, a 600-mile earthquake
fault stretching from offshore Northern
California to Southern British Columbia.
Experts predict a large 9.0 or higher
earthquake could strike Oregon in the
near future.
“We know the risk is there,” said OEM’s
Althea Rizzo, a coordinator for the
Geologic Hazards Program, explaining
that spreading the preparedness message
is even “that much more important” given
the likelihood of an earthquake in the area.
OEM welcomed the partnership with
Dark Horse Comics to help spread the
word. “Most public education publications
are not interesting to kids,” said Rizzo.
“This comic book allows us to reach a new
audience not often targeted in pre-
paredness materials.”
Without Warning can be downloaded for
free on mobile devices at <www.digital.
darkhorse.com/profile/4951.without-warn
ing>. Print copies can be requested by
calling (503) 378-2911, ext. 22237.
MOONCAKES & MUSIC. Recent visitors to the Woodstock Library enjoyed the annual Mid-Autumn Festi-
val, a celebration traditionally held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar year. Also called the Moon
Festival, the gathering featured a martial-arts presentation by young students (top photo), folk songs played on
traditional instruments (bottom photo), information about the history of the festival, mooncakes, and more. (AR
Photos/Kate Hubbard)
imprinted from special baking tins. They
are more than just a pastry; they are a
cultural symbol representing the reunion
of family. As such, the gifting and sharing
of them is an integral part of the celebra-
tion.
To complement the event, Woodstock
Library staff coordinated a display of
books about the festival, some with
delicious recipes for different types of
mooncakes. Tables were also set up with
paper lanterns for children to decorate and
take home.
Although it was an informal event, the
crowd took up a large part of the library.
Filled with curious visitors as well as
proud parents, the festival made for a fun
and informative introduction to this
wonderful holiday.
To learn about other cultural events
held at Multnomah County libraries, visit
<events.multcolib.org>.
Read The Asian Reporter –
exactly as it’s printed
here – online!
<www.asianreporter.com>
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