The Mid Autumn Festival is celebrated each year to mark the full moon which is a Chinese symbol for family reunion, so it is sometimes called the Festival of the Reunion or Mooncake Festival as Mooncakes are traditionally eaten.
This year the festival falls on 29 September – 1 October.
Here are some ideas to celebrate it:
Worship the Moon
– Share these interesting facts
- It takes place on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month
- Having mooncake is an essential part to the Moon Festival
- Colourful festival lanterns are lit and hung or carried
- Rabbits are a mascot of the Moon Festival and are used as decorations
– Do Yoga
Here are some themed poses
Storytime
– Story of Mid Autumn Festival
The festival started more than 2,000 years ago as a post-autumn harvest celebration, which was devoted to thanking the gods. Most scholars believe that the Mid-autumn Festival first appeared during the Song dynasty, derived from the tradition of worshipping the moon.
(Source: National Library Board)
The most popular story of Mid-Autumn Festival is the Legend of Chang’e. Legend goes, the sky had ten suns that scorched the earth. Houyi shot down all but one, and told the only one remaining to be good for the people.
(LTL Language School)
Create crafts to tell story of the mooncake festival
– Create lanterns out of red paper and a stapler or sellotape
– Mould mooncakes out of playdoh or clay (we use a mooncake press designed to make the real thing)
Reunion Dinner
– Make a Chinese meal for the family
– Eat mooncakes after
Spend time watching the moon
– Draw a picture or take a photo
