Are you ready for the Mid-Autumn Festival? Every Chinese festival is an opportunity for children to learn more about Chinese language and Chinese culture. For the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are quite a lot to share with children. There are stories to read aloud, there is food to share or make, and there are fun tradition to explore!
I am always thrilled to read all the questions from you, your children and students about Chinese culture and Chinese festivals. You have sent in your questions about The Mid Autumn Festival to Miss Panda and here are the answers!
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival with a gif story via GIPHY
Chinese Language and Chinese Culture for Children Q & A: The Mid Autumn Festival
Q: When is Mid Autumn Festival?
A: Mid-Autumn Festival is “Zhōng qiū jié” 中秋節|中秋节 in Chinese. It literally means the Mid-Autumn Festival. Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month every year. Chinese people celebrate harvest time and give thanks for a good year of good harvest. This is the day family get together and have a family reunion dinner.
Q: Is there a story about the Mid Autumn Festival?
A: Yes! There is a well-known folk story about the Mid Autumn Festival. It is a story about a famous archer, Hòu Yį 后羿 and his wife, Cháng’é 嫦娥. In the ancient time, there were ten suns in the sky and people were suffering from the heat and the drought. This well-known archer, Hòu Yį came to the rescue and shot down nine suns.
After that, the archer received the elixir of immortality as a reward. But a friend of Hòu Yį wanted to steal it and take it. Cháng’é, Hòu Yį’s wife wanted to stop stealing and drank up the magic potion.
After Cháng’é drank it her body felt lighter and lighter and she started floating. Cháng’é floated all the way to the moon. When Cháng’é coughed up the magic potion after she landed on the moon. What she coughed out turned into a rabbit. The rabbit’s name is “Jade Rabbit 玉兔.” It was the only companion of Cháng’é.
That is why Chinese people take a walk and look at the moon on the evening of the Moon Festival. Children will search for the shadow of the Moon Fairy, Cháng’é, and her companion, Jade Rabbit.
Q: Can you tell me about the man who is cutting a tree on the moon?
The Story of Wu Gang is another Mid-Autumn Festival story children enjoy. Wu Gang is the man who wanted to cut down a self-healing tree in order to be immortal. Wu Gang tried and tried, but the tree healed itself. So, it is another shadow that kids will look for when they look at the moon on the Mid-Autumn festival.
Chinese Culture for Kids: Story of the Mid Autumn Festival (audio: Mandarin Chinese)
Q: Is the Mid-Autumn Festival also called the Moon Festival in Chinese?
A: That is a good question. The Moon Festival is only used in the Western World. The Mid Autumn Festival is one of the four major Chinese festivals and its official name in Chinese is “Zhōng qiū jié” 中秋節|中秋节. The English translation variations other than “Mid Autumn Festival” are “The Mid Autumn Moon Festival, ” “The Moon Festival.”
Q: What do Chinese people do during the Mid-Autumn Festival?
A: The celebration of the Mid Autumn Festival starts a couple of weeks before its arrival. Businesses will delivery gift bags of moon cakes, gift boxes of pomelos (Chinese grapefruits), and other goodies to their business partners to show gratitude and appreciation for their services. This gift-giving tradition also applies to families, relatives, and friends.
In China, this time of the year (from October 1, China’s National Day to the Mid Autumn Festival) is called the Golden Week. There is an eight-day holiday this year in 2017 and more than half of the 1.4 billion China’s population, that is 710 million people will be traveling during the Golden Week. Among them, close to 50% of the people will be on the move by car and many will be traveling to the neighboring countries, like Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. Is that amazing?
In Taiwan, it is very popular for families and friends to get together on the Mid Autumn Festival and have a grill (BBQ) party!
One thing that most Chinese people do worldwide is to enjoy the moon cakes, take a walk with the family, and look at the moon to see if the kids can spot the shadow of the Moon Fairy, Cháng’é, and the Jade Rabbit. It is a precious family time to celebrate togetherness.
Q: Are Moon cakes sweet or salty?
Moon cake fillings are usually sweet, but some fillings can be salty and sweet at the same time. The popular Cantonese filling with sweet red bean paste and a salty egg yolk is one example. Many kids enjoy ice cream moon cakes. That is one of my favorites. Yum!
Q: Is Mid-Autumn Festival similar to Thanksgiving?
Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival and it has some similarities to the concept of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States (November), Canada (October), Australia, and the Netherlands, and a similar celebration is also observed in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Japan.
Q: Where can I find Moon Cakes if I am in the U.S.?
You can find authentic Moon Cakes in a Chinese supermarket, in a Chinese bakery, in a Chinese restaurant, or in Chinatown if there is one in your city. You can also make your own moon cakes at home. Grandma Panda makes the most delicious moon cakes and I used to help her make them. If you want to give it a try you can follow the video below and have a Moon Cake baking party. Let me know how you like it.
Chinese Culture for Kids: Make Moon Cakes (English)
You might like to explore more Chinese for Kids Learning Resources:
Exploring Chinese Reader eBooks that go with the Mid Autumn Festival culture theme or moon-related topics for young learners. All Chinese Reader eBooks are written with young learners in mind. Short and simple sentences are used with word repetition to ensure comprehensible input. Both traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese editions are available.
Listen to the ebook: The Mid Autumn Festival A Poem! Join Miss Panda to read aloud together!
What does the rabbit do in the story?
Chinese Reader eBook Mid-Autumn Festival (Traditional Chinese edition)
Have you checked out the Mid Autumn Festival teaching sample unit? Enjoy high-quality Chinese language and Chinese culture teaching resources here and share them with your children and students. Make sure you tell your teacher colleagues and teacher friends about the teaching resources on our website. For more Chinese stories for kids you can check out Miss Panda’s Chinese Reader ebook collection.
Also, sign up for Miss Panda’s Chinese Teaching Printable Library and receive updates for upcoming Chinese teaching resources.
Chinese Reader eBook Mid-Autumn Festival (Simplified Chinese edition)