Mid-Autumn Festival Celebrations

Each year, Chinese classes at Marlborough celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, an important festival among Chinese communities honoring the harvest, family reunions, and the moon. On September 6, 2022, students in the AP Chinese and Chinese II courses came together to mark the annual holiday with a morning of festivities. Marlborough was also honored to host the Chinese Counselor of Education, Ming Tingxi, and members of his staff as they participated in the event alongside Marlborough students – a visit made possible as a result of a fruitful collaboration between the school’s World Language Department and the Chinese Counselor of Education.

To ground the celebrations in historical and cultural contexts, AP Chinese students began the day by giving presentations on the origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the traditional ways in which it has been celebrated, how those traditions have evolved over the years, and how the festival is now celebrated in modern-day China. The goals of the lesson were twofold: for advanced placement students to learn about the many aspects and histories of this joyous season, and to share that knowledge with younger students. Chinese Language Instructor, Fei Li, shared, “It was a special moment to see the advanced learners presenting their well-prepared presentations to the group with such care and consideration.”

Following the presentations, Mr. Ming spoke to students about his appreciation for their achievements in Chinese language and cultural learning. He also expressed his hope for future collaborations and opportunities for cultural exchanges. Mr. Ming graciously brought AP Chinese and Chinese II students a collection of books and a number of Chinese learning tools including brush sets, "magic" reusable character writing paper, and hanging character sheets. Leela M. ’23, a student in the AP Chinese class, described Mr. Ming as “very gracious and encouraging.” 

Continuing the festivities, students, Ms. Li, Mr. Ming, and his staff settled into the CEI Project Lab to make zou ma deng (revolving paper lanterns). Mr. Ming's staff distributed supplies and instructed students on how to construct these traditional Mid-Autumn Festival crafts. Once everyone completed and proudly displayed their lanterns, they came together to enjoy mooncakes – a delicacy traditionally eaten during this festival – and other Chinese desserts. 

Reflecting upon the day’s festivities, Ms. Li spoke about the most memorable moment for her saying, “Seeing how older students worked so diligently to prepare and share the mooncakes for younger students really made me feel like it was a family reunion.” In a festive season meant to honor family reunions and togetherness, it was a perfect way to recognize the start of another exciting year in the school’s Chinese language courses and formally reunite the Marlborough family of Chinese language learners.