Mid-Autumn Festival for the flood-affected areas of overseas Vietnamese in Germany

Children in Germany volunteer put their small amounts of money into the donation box to send back to Vietnam to help families affected by the recent storm.

Children are excited about the Lion Dance performance at the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival at Dong Xuan Trade Center. (Photo: Phuong Hoa/VNA)

On September 15, at Dong Xuan shopping center, Berlin and many cities in Germany, where there are many Vietnamese communities, associations organized the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival for young people. This is an activity to maintain and promote the cultural identity of the Vietnamese people, creating a playground and meeting place for children and their families living and studying in Germany. The 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival program has been enthusiastically supported by associations, businesses, clubs and individuals. The organizing committee in each locality has planned several months in advance to prepare for this event that children are looking forward to. However, unlike every year, this year's "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival" program has had last-minute changes and adjustments. In addition to the performances, folk games and cultural learning... this year, the children also watched films about the northern provinces of Vietnam, where storm No. 3 (storm Yagi ) had just passed through, causing heavy damage. The lessons about "Compatriotic affection, national solidarity, sharing food and clothes..." aroused in the children feelings for their homeland, love for those in trouble and hardship, and sympathy and sharing for the losses of the nation. It was even more touching when the children voluntarily put their small amounts of money into the donation box to send back to Vietnam, to help families affected by the recent storm.

Children play O an quan at the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival at Dong Xuan Trade Center. (Photo: Phuong Hoa/VNA)

In Berlin, the organizers prepared nearly 2,000 gifts as well as purchased hundreds of star lanterns from Vietnam to distribute to the children. Speaking at the event, Ambassador Vu Quang Minh expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the efforts of the program organizers and the cooperation of associations and Dong Xuan Trade Center to organize a very meaningful event, attracting a large number of children of all generations of Vietnamese people to attend. According to the Ambassador, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a beautiful cultural feature of the Vietnamese people for generations, a festival for children and teenagers. Preserving this beauty in the second homeland is extremely necessary, contributing to preserving, promoting and passing on the traditional culture of our nation to future generations. The Ambassador wishes all the children and their families a happy and warm Mid-Autumn Festival, hoping that they will study hard and excel so that in the future they can make worthy contributions to Germany as well as to their homeland Vietnam.

Ambassador Vu Quang Minh (third from right) with his wife and General Director of Dong Xuan Trade Center Nguyen Van Hien participated in the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival with nearly 2,000 children and families in Berlin. (Photo: Phuong Hoa/VNA)

In Cottbus, the President of the Vietnamese Association in Cottbus and its vicinity, Dr. Vu Dai Que, welcomed the city authorities, including Dr. Markus Niggemann, Vice President of the city; Ms. Ewelina Renner, in charge of city integration; and nearly 200 teenagers, children and their families to attend the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival. He expressed his joy that the second and third generations are still eagerly waiting for the Vietnamese Children's Festival. On this special occasion, he also explained and shared with the children the losses that the people of the North had just experienced in Typhoon Yagi. On behalf of the Vietnamese Association in Cottbus and its vicinity, President Vu Dai Que called on fellow countrymen, philanthropists, businesses, and German and international friends to contribute a part of their finances to help those in need in Vietnam. Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Counselor Chu Tuan Duc cited the Vietnamese Association in Cottbus and its vicinity. He expressed his joy at seeing children always placed at the center of the activities of Vietnamese associations here. Mr. Chu Tuan Duc said that the children, the second and third generations, are not only the future of the Vietnamese community, but also the future of the city of Cottbus and its vicinity. They are the ones who contribute to the local society, the economy and the development of the host country.

A performance during the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival at Dong Xuan Trade Center in Berlin. (Photo: Phuong Hoa/VNA)

Mr. Chu Tuan Duc said that maintaining Vietnamese language classes and organizing Vietnamese cultural events are extremely useful activities, so that children can not only be good at German and know German culture, but also maintain Vietnamese language and Vietnamese culture. Only when knowing their roots and preserving their cultural identity will the community have strength. Hopefully, this strength will be maintained and promoted in Cottbus and surrounding areas. Mr. Duc was also very moved when he saw the children responding to the association's fundraising activities for flood victims in Vietnam. In Leipzig, the Vietnamese Association and the Vietnamese Women's Association of Leipzig city organized a Mid-Autumn Festival 2024 for children in Leipzig city and surrounding areas. Attending, on behalf of the local government, were Ms. Manuella Andrich - Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Leipzig city, representatives of Leipzig Zoo, and representatives of Selgros shopping center. Speaking at the welcoming ceremony for more than 800 children, their families and guests, Mr. Bui Quang Huy - Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in Leipzig, emphasized that Mid-Autumn Festival has become a Tet holiday for the Vietnamese community in Leipzig and this festival will continue to be maintained in the following years as a tradition of the Vietnamese community here. He also expressed his hope that this event will help connect not only Vietnamese people with each other but also with the local community and other immigrant communities. Ms. Manuella Andrich delivered a speech conveying the Mayor of Leipzig's congratulations to the Vietnamese community in Leipzig and surrounding areas on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival and highly appreciated the active activities of the Vietnamese community in Leipzig, considering the Vietnamese community in this city an important part, contributing positively to the integration, multicultural exchange and development of the city.

Mr. Michael Koch, Vice President of Spree-Neisse region, Brandenburg state, presented certificates of merit to students with excellent academic achievements in Cottbus. (Photo: Phuong Hoa/VNA)

Within the framework of Children's Day in the cities, the organizing committee awarded certificates of merit to children with excellent academic achievements in the past school year, along with small gifts to encourage them. In Leipzig, representatives of the City Zoo awarded 20 annual entrance tickets, worth 1,600 euros, to children with good academic achievements. In addition to the art and entertainment programs, the fundraising activities to support flood victims in the country received enthusiastic responses from the community. To raise funds to organize this major event, the Organizing Committee received enthusiastic support from the leaders of Leipzig city, Selgros shopping center, Dong Xuan Center, Dong Xuan Markt and many other businesses, and individuals.

Vietnamplus.vn

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tet-trung-thu-huong-ve-vung-lu-cua-kieu-bao-tai-duc-post977188.vnp