LOTE (Chinese)

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋节

At the beginning of Term 4, students from Prep to Year 6 learned about one of the most celebrated festivals in Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōng qiū jié), which fell on the 6th of October!

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a special time when families in China and many other countries gather to admire the full moon (赏月), enjoy delicious mooncakes (吃月饼), and spend time together. The round shape of the moon represents unity, family and togetherness. The three main purposes of this festival are gathering, thanksgiving and praying.

Prep to Year 6 learners enjoyed inquiring about the legends of the festival, including the story of 'HouYi Shooting the Sun' (后羿射日). They got to know hero Archer HouYi, the Moon Goddess (嫦娥), and her companion, the Jade Rabbit (玉兔). Through exploring cultural videos and fun class discussions, students gained a solid understanding of how the festival is celebrated with lanterns, moon-viewing, and the sharing of mooncakes (especially the various types).  I also bought an authentic mooncake for class to have a look and a touch. 

To celebrate, Year 1-6 students had an opportunity to design their creative mooncake craft with a secret message saying "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival" in Chinese. (祝中秋节快乐! zhù zhōng qiū jié kuài lè!), and learned how cultural traditions bring people together.

Later on, when Year 1 and 2 learners inquired about the 4 Seasons in Chinese, they used their prior knowledge of the 12 months of the year to help them close a knowledge gap about why Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in October, whereas it's Spring in Australia. Because China and Australia are located in different hemispheres, the Autumn season in China actually falls from September to November. 

I loved seeing our students connect language learning with cultural understanding. 

Of course, everyone was fascinated by the glowing full moon that inspired this beautiful festival!