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September 27, 2012

Mid-Autumn Festival - Moon Festival

For the last few years, I've gone into Josie's preschool or elementary school to share a lesson plan on the Mid-Autumn Festival or Moon Festival.  

This year's festival begins September 30th and I will be stopping by her 1st grade classroom for a a brief lesson Friday afternoon. To better understand the holiday, think of it as a mix of a harvest celebration as well as a culinary celebration all mixed together as a family reunion. There are also several myths which you can explore further here.   Many of my adoptive friends describe it as a "Chinese Thanksgiving" which is how I'm going to explain it during our anticipatory set to kick off the lesson.  

 One of the most important traditions during this celebration is the giving and eating of moon cakes.


This delicacy is definitely an acquired taste, so I'll be bringing chocolate covered fortune cookies for our classroom snack.

As you can imagine, Josie is very excited to share her cultural traditions with her new classmates.

Wishing you a Happy Mid-Autumn Moon Festival!
 

21 comments:

birdie blue said...

josie is adorable, kim. such a sweet festival to celebrate!

xo
molly

Donna said...

That is so neat that you are sharing Josie's heritage! Those fortune cookies look yummy!!! What a cutie she is:)

Pam Kessler said...

I agree with Donna, those fortune cookies look even better than normal (and I love the plain ones). You guys are so good about spreading the joys of Josie's culture and homeland.

BTW, not that I have ever watched it before in my life, but I was flipping through channels last night and saw that Honey Boo Boo's sister had a baby that was born with two thumbs on one hand. They didn't mention any upcoming surgeries, but it being a "reality" program who knows what the plans really are. I was actually quite surprised that Mrs. Boo Boo (or whatever her name is) had a great outlook on it though. There wasn't a lot of undue drama about it, just a matter of fact attitude. I still don't think I'll be watching that program regularly though. I'm not a fan of making-fun-of-people-for-the-sake-of-television type programs.

Lee said...

Josie looks so much older~Love her in pink!
Kudos to you for all you do to make Josie and her classmates aware of her heritage.
Keep up the good work!

KJ@letsgoflyakite said...

We are celebrating with you. Just picked up our moon cakes, you are so right, they are an acquired taste! Lovely photos, I will always remember the lantern video you posted last year!

Nellie said...

Kim, you do such a super job of sharing Josie's heritage! This sounds like a lot of fun. I'd even try a moon cake!:) xo Nellie

Joanna B said...

We have that same book, Mackenzie loves it :-)
I love Josie's outfit, where did you get it?

Cheryl G. said...

What a sweet thing for you to do!
I LOVE Miss Josie's pink outfit!
She is always pretty in pink!
Those fortune cookies look yummy!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

How wonderful that she can share her heritage with her new classmates. It's so important for kids that age to understand about other cultures so that we can all live together in harmony. Hugs to Josie!

ImagiMeri said...

She's so stinkin' cute girlfriend. I got your package today, you are too sweet for words. I love it all, thank you sweetie.

Love ya'
Meri

Unknown said...

What a nice thing to do...sharing Josie's culture with her classmates!! Your fortune cookies look yummy!!

chris

Jodee said...

What a sweet tradition! I bet your treats are a big hit!

Hope you have a great weekend!

vivian said...

thats awesome. I bet Josie loves having you come into her class. she is sooooo adorable! and I want Josies outfit!!
have a great weekend!
xoxo

vintage grey said...

How wonderful that you are sharing this sweet festival with her class!! So special for Miss Josie! Have a great weekend! xo Heather

Erica of Golden Egg Vintage said...

I remember quite well each time that my mom came to class when I was little. I always wanted her to chaperone field trips and things because she was the best mom ever...and I knew the other kids would think so too! I still think she's the best mom ever, and I imagine that Josie feels the same way about you! She's probably just as excited to show YOU off as she is to hand out those cookies!
The Moon Festival sounds dreamy.
Have Fun,
Erica :)

lisbonlioness said...

Oooh- thanks for this post, I will read up on the myths and stories around the moon festival.
I LOVE autumnal celebrations, and eastern traditions are something I know way too little about.
It's brilliant that you raise Josie with an acute awareness of her cultural heritage, it will help her knowing who she is for the rest of her life. Gotta love that little girl, she is such a darling!

LBP said...

I am sure she is so excited to share this with her classmates! She is just adorable.

Blessings

Linda

RetroSandie said...

Josie is just adorable and she looks so excited and happy in her pink outfit! What a nice celebration for her classmates!

craftyles said...

I have heard of the festival, but didn't really know what it was. Sounds like fun and Josie is adorable. Have fun and enjoy the day!

Janet said...

Happy Moon Festival! I like the idea of the fortune cookies, too! Josie looks very cute in her outfit!

Corey said...

Oh, it's been a few days since I visited,and I missed all kinds of fum stuff! All your Halloween decorations look so fun- I bet my kids wish that I decorated for Halloween! I love the little lights on the dollhouse! And I want some of those chocolate-dipped fortune cookies! Josie looks so sweet in her pink outfit!