It’s Mid-Autumn again on the Chinese Lunar Calendar. I’m not really a traditionalist with following customs but I do believe in the preservation of culture and what better way to do that than to teach it to our children in our own homes? For that reason, I encourage the boys to participate in all the activities and traditions that my in laws observe even though I am not a believer of the rationale behind the practices.
It might seem paradoxical for me to say I don’t believe in any of this stuff and then tell the boys that they should do it anyway but I believe that this will help them embrace the idea that other people will have beliefs that they should respect even if they don’t agree with them.
With Hercules a year older, we were able to dispense with the “safer” battery-operated lanterns and go with the more traditional candle-lit lanterns.
If I was optimistic last year and thought we would be ready to make our own lanterns this year, the past year has given me pause to ponder over the wisdom of handing Hercules coloured cellophane paper, wire, and glue. So I guess we’ll be waiting another year (or three) before we get tucked into that activity…
Although the actual date of the Moon Festival isn’t until this Sunday, the boys have had a busy time decorating their grandparents’ garden with lanterns and candles (with assistance, of course). Hercules took on the responsibility of being the candle monitor and did a wonderful job rationing the candles to make sure we wouldn’t run out of candles before we were able to run down to the corner store to buy some more (read: he held fast to the last three candles and even wild pygmies couldn’t pry them out of his vice-like grasp until he clapped his eyes on the new boxes of candles Daddy bought).
Aside from the running around after dark with candle-lit lanterns, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also about the communal enjoyment of Moon Cakes. Unfortunately, the boys have yet to discover the delights of consuming these delectable treats so shopping for lanterns and running around in the night with them is probably about as festive as they will get for the time being.
About the Moon Festival
I did a little more searching and found some better youtube videos on the Moon Festival. Here’s one relating the details of the Moon Festival and another on the Legend of the Moon Festival.
More Articles on the Mid-Autmn Festival:
Nurture for the Future 