Uncle Ho's letters to children on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival

On February 9, 1955, President Ho Chi Minh invited children from Hanoi to visit the Presidential Palace. Historical photo

Mid-Autumn Festival 1941President Ho Chi Minh wrote the poem “Calling for Children” (September 21, 1941) to send to children. He wrote: “When will the Japanese and the Westerners be chased away? Our children will be our favorites.”.

On the occasion ofMid-Autumn Festival 1945,In the Cuu Quoc Newspaper, issue 45, September 17, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh wrote the article “Mid-Autumn Festival with Independence”. In the letter, he wrote: “Last year, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, our country was still oppressed and you were still child slaves. This year, our country is free and you have become citizens of an independent country.”.

On the afternoon of September 21, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh stayed at the Northern Palace to celebrate the Independence Mid-Autumn Festival with the children. Before the children broke the cake, he talked to them: “I hope that in the future you will grow up to be worthy citizens of an independent and free country.” (Cuu Quoc Newspaper, No. 49, September 22, 1945).

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1947, in the National Salvation Newspaper, No. 713, September 27, 1947, President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to children across the country: “Since our country became independent, you have been able to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival happily. This year, because the colonialists are cruel and want to take over our country, we must fight hard to protect our Fatherland, so that you will not have to become slaves... I promise you: You, my uncles, all of our compatriots, will fight hard to soon drive out the reactionary colonialists, so that the long-term resistance will soon be victorious, unification and independence will soon be successful, so that you can celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival happily like last year, the year before.”.

Mid-Autumn Festival 1948, in the National Salvation Newspaper, No. 1042, September 16, 1948, President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to children on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival: “Although the French invaders are cruel, they absolutely cannot prevent the beautiful and full autumn moon. Although the French invaders are brutal, they absolutely cannot prevent the children from being happy and enthusiastic... When the resistance is victorious, unification and independence are successful, Uncle and I will together enjoy a joyful and jubilant Mid-Autumn Festival.”.

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1949President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to children on the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival in the Cuu Quoc Newspaper, No. 1374, October 18, 1949 that: “This is your third Mid-Autumn Festival. Since we have been at war for three years, everything is a bit more scarce than before, so perhaps this Mid-Autumn Festival you will have less cakes and candies than last year.”.But, according to Him:“This year the children have made more progress than last year, both in terms of competing in studying and in participating in the resistance war.”.

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1950President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to children nationwide on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Truth Newspaper, No. 143, October 2, 1950 that: “Uncle is sure that: wherever you are, your spirit is always enthusiastic and happy... Because you are sure that the resistance will definitely win, and on the day the resistance wins, we will celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival together very happily and joyfully.”.

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1951,President Ho Chi Minh wrote a Mid-Autumn Festival letter to children in the National Salvation Newspaper, issue 1904, September 12, 1951 that: “Today, you are children. In the future, you are the masters of your country and the world. If you unite, the world will be peaceful and democratic, there will be no war. You must compete, depending on your strength, do something useful for the resistance, then compete to do that. You know how to hate, how to love, how to try, if you unite and compete like that, the resistance will soon win, if the resistance wins, the Mid-Autumn Festival will be more joyful.”.

President Ho Chi Minh with children in Viet Bac in 1950. Historical photo

On occasionMid-Autumn Festival1952, in Nhan Dan Newspaper, No. 75, September 25, 1952, President Ho Chi Minh wrote a Mid-Autumn Festival Letter to children in free zones, guerrilla zones, temporarily occupied zones and abroad: “Every year, when the Mid-Autumn Festival comes, Uncle Ho misses you more and more. The Mid-Autumn Festival with the moon in the cool breeze is a peaceful scene. The goal of Uncle Ho and the Union and the Government is to build a peaceful, free and happy life for you.”.

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1953,President Ho Chi Minh excitedly sent a letter telling the news of the victory, sharing joy with the children with a poem: "9 Mid-Autumn Festival8 years of resistance/ The children have grown up/ Uncle is very pleased/ This autumn, Uncle sends letters to all/ Uncle kisses the children in all regions near and far/ This autumn is better than the previous autumns/ The resistance was three or four times more victorious/ The children are happy/ Uncle is also happy/ The following autumns are happier than this autumn.”.

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1954, in Nhan Dan Newspaper, No. 224, from September 11 to 12, 1954, President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to children on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival: “This Mid-Autumn Festival is the first Mid-Autumn Festival of peace, after 8, 9 years of heroic resistance of our people. In the resistance war to save the country, you also contributed a part. On this occasion, Uncle sends his warm compliments to you.”.

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1957,In Nhan Dan Newspaper, No. 1278, September 8, 1957, President Ho Chi Minh wrote a letter to children on the occasion of the Mid-Autumn Festival: “On the occasion of Mid-Autumn Festival, Uncle Ho wishes all children to be united, obedient, happy and healthy.”.

Leaders of Nghe An province and departments and branches celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with children of SOS Children's Village. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

Previously, in July 1957, President Ho Chi Minh and the delegation of the Party and Government of Vietnam paid a friendly visit to Czechoslovakia. On July 18, 1957, President Ho Chi Minh visited the village of Lidice, 16km from the capital Prague, where the Nazis murdered them during World War II. 82 children from the village were taken to a concentration camp in Poland and then gassed. There, he said: “We are determined to strive so that there will never again be massacres like those in Lidice, so that our children will never have to taste the horrors of war, so that our children will grow up happily in peace.”.

OccasionMid-Autumn Festival 1960, with the pen name TL, President Ho Chi Minh wrote an article "Talking about Mid-Autumn Festival with children" published in Nhan Dan newspaper, issue 2391, October 5, 1960. He wrote: "Thanks to the success of the August Revolution and the victorious resistance war to save the country, you have grown up in a socialist regime. Thanks to the care of the Party and the help of the Youth Union, you will try your best in every aspect to be worthy future owners of a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic and prosperous Vietnam.”.