Mid-Autumn Festival
Suitable for Grades Prep-Grade 3
Ignite Curiosity!
Do you know what these special Chinese foods are?
Match the foods to the correct Chinese festival or celebration:
A. Chinese/Lunar New Year
B. Birthday celebrations
C. Mid-Autumn Festival
D. Dragon Boat Festival
Answers are on the last page!
Explore Ideas!
WHAT IS MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL?
Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival celebrated annually in China and globally by Chinese communities. It's a lunar festival, which means the date changes yearly, but is always in Autumn, on Month 8, Day 15 of the lunar calendar. That day is always in September or October. The festival centres around enjoying the full moon and, like all festivals, has special foods to eat and different activities. There is also a well known myth, from the festival, ‘Chang’e the Moon Goddess’.
FESTIVAL INTRODUCTION
Watch these two songs together and discuss what students can find out about how Mid Autumn Festival is celebrated.
HOW IS IT CELEBRATED?
Watch these videos together and discuss what students have discovered more about how Mid Autumn Festival is celebrated e.g. activities, foods, etc.
RETELL THE MYTH OF MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL
Watch the two videos that retell the main myth from Mid-Autumn Festival. This has different titles including; Hou Yi and the Sun, Change E Flies to the Moon, and The Rabbit in the Moon. All are the same myth.
After watching the videos, retell the story through different ways students wish to; cartoons, role plays, podcasts, storytelling, etc.
Create!
MAKE A LANTERN
There are lots of crafts to do for this festival:
- Make a lantern just like at Mid-Autumn Festival.
- Design/draw your own lantern. Watch the video below for ideas of different shapes and designs.
- Design a pattern for the top of a Mooncake. Find ideas for patterns, etc here. You can make them in 3D with playdough or clay, etc, too!
Check out how lanterns are used in festival celebrations and all the different styles and shapes you can see in the streets, homes and communities
MAKE MOONCAKES!
Follow the instructions below to make either a no-bake mooncake or a cooked version.
Adam Liaw’s delicious no-bake mooncake
How to make moon cakes at home-easy recipe
Extension: Watch Baby Panda protects his mooncakes
Watch the video together (it is quite long at 25 mins) and discuss more what students find out about Mooncakes and the festival.
Share!
- Share your students’ fantastic work with your school community to show them the great intercultural learning taking place in your classroom!
- Prepare an assembly item, social media content or posters to share about this holiday.
- Create a Learning Wall about the festival, with Inquiry Questions.
- Display students‘ work on the festival on the Learning Wall or around the school.
Post!
- Tag @MegGlobalEd on school posts so we can celebrate your students’ wonderful work. Find Meg on Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, and Instagram
Answers for Ignite:
Number 3:Dumplings= A. Chinese/Lunar New Year
Number 4:Longlife noodles = B. Birthday celebrations
Number 1: Mooncakes = C. Mid-Autumn Festival
Number 2: Zongzi/rice dumplings = D. Dragon Boat Festival