Mooncakes and Celebration

A peek into AZN’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

Illustration by Lauren Chan

On October 1st, AZN hosted its annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the harvest festival, originated in China during the Shang Dynasty and is celebrated across much of Asia. Held in the chapel, the event invited all students who identify as pan-Asian to come together for a night of community and cultural appreciation. Attendees enjoyed lantern-folding, traditional music, and an assortment of mooncakes—the signature dessert of the festival, representing the shape of the full moon and symbolizing family reunion, unity, and completeness.

To foster connections within the community, the meeting began with the introduction of senior AZN members, helping new students connect with familiar leaders at Middlesex. Later, new students met returning members through icebreaker games, including one where participants lined up in birthday order without speaking. This fun challenge allowed students to interact with unfamiliar peers and branch out from their existing friends groups. Junior Zoe Le ‘27 commented that the AZN meeting “was a great place to learn about the new members in our community.” Through shared backgrounds and experiences, new students quickly bonded with the returners. AZN head Michelle Cai ‘27 reflected that these gatherings “not only create new friendships, but also strengthen existing connections.” 

The celebration drew a large turnout and uniting students from diverse yet connected backgrounds. What made the event particularly meaningful was its reach beyond AZN’s regular members. It not only raised greater awareness of the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration across the school community, but also extended the spirit of the celebration to faculty and dorm parents, who were invited to share in the mooncakes. AZN Head Sixing Wang ‘26 proudly reflected on the evening, calling it a “triumph of our affinity group.”

Allison Luo ‘27