Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions for Kids

What is the Mid-Autumn Festival?

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the Moon Festival, Mooncake Festival, and 中秋节/中秋節 (zhōng qiū jié). It’s a time-honored celebration for millions of people across the globe. At its heart, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a Chinese Thanksgiving. Relatives gather together, celebrate harvest, express gratitude for blessings, and share a special meal. In addition to admiring the full moon, families also enjoy retelling the legend about 嫦娥奔月 (Cháng’é ascending to the moon) and 玉兔捣药/玉兔搗藥 (Jade Rabbit making the elixir of immortality).

What are traditional foods for Mid-Autumn Festival? In Chinese culture, mooncakes (月饼, yuè bĭng) are the quintessential Mid-Autumn Festival treat! This pastry is round like the moon, and the inside has a sweet or savory filling. Making and sharing mooncakes is one of the hallmark traditions of this festival. In Chinese culture, a round shape symbolizes completeness and reunion. Thus, the sharing and eating of round mooncakes among family members during the week of the festival signifies the completeness and unity of families.

       This year our school’s Mid-Autumn Festival program will be on September 29, 2023, in the SHB 5 hall. This program is for our kindergarten and primary to participate in this activity.  Our principal, teachers, and students wear red clothes, and some also wear orange or yellow clothes. Every class went to the stage to perform.  The sixth-grade students sang the BPMF song because this song represents basic Chinese.  The students all sang along and it was wonderful. Before going home, the students happily went home with moon cakes and were able to tell stories about the Mid-Autumn Festival to their parents. Hopefully, this Mooncake Festival can bring blessings and happiness to everyone.  Happy Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone!

HAPPY MOONCAKE FESTIVAL! 中秋节快乐!