A BOROUGH church made lanterns and picnicked under the moon with Hong Kongers.
Wokingham Baptist Church hosted a celebration of the Mid Autumn Festival, an important celebration for people from Hong Kong, many of whom have been settling in Wokingham over the past couple of years.
Around 70 people gathered at the church to make Chinese-style lanterns and eat ‘moon cakes’, before making their way to Elms Field.
There they shared more food and good company under a full moon.
The festival, timed to coincide with the full moon each autumn, is traditionally when Hong Kongers gather together as whole families.
This year it was poignant for the many Hong Kongers who have made the difficult decision to leave their homeland, wider family and friends, to move to the UK.
One Hong Konger said: ‘We are so grateful to the church for the opportunity to meet together on this special night, and to celebrate with friends from Hong Kong and new friends from the UK, ”
Church Minister Nick Hudson said: “We are very mindful that the past couple of years has been a traumatic time for our Hong Kong friends.
“Settling in a new country with a very different culture, perhaps with young children, is a really challenging thing to do.
“These are wonderful people who have a huge amount to add to our Wokingham community, and they are keen to do so.
“We need to do all we can to help them settle well and find a new sense of home and belonging here among us.”
For information about Wokngham Baptist Church, visit: www.wokinghambaptist.org.uk
