Celebrating national holidays far from home is difficult for many international students. How do Chinese students handle this for holidays like this week's Mid Autumn Festival? How can non-Chinese people get involved and enjoy the festivities?

       Universities are massive cultural hubs that usually have a myriad of resources for students to take advantage of to celebrate international holidays. If the day isn't already celebrated on campus through a Chinese language club, a Confucius Institute, or a cultural club like the Chinese-American Student Association, universities are often open to lending their resources to create a new event for the cultural exposure of their students.

        A school's International Student Union is also a great resource for those looking to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival. Since over one-third of all international students are Chinese, chances are you will find someone to eat mooncakes with!

       Finally, Skyping friends and family in China is a great way to celebrate authentically. If you don't have any contacts in China currently, you can check out the following websites to find a language partner in China:

       https://www.italki.com/partners/chinese

       https://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Search.asp?selX3=12

       https://www.mylanguageexchange.com/Learn/Chinese.asp

        Also keep in mind that although the Mid-Autumn Festival has already tehnically passed, many schools and community organizations are still holding events throughout the week. For example, the University of Pittsburgh's CASA is holding a celebration a full week after the original holiday date (to see details click here). Even if you do not get to celebrate this year, it is never too late to start thinking about how to get engaged in your local Chinese culture like this.