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Learning Mandarin with mooncakes, students study family-forward Mid-Autumn Festival

A group of diverse students and teachers hold red envelopes and scrolls in the foreground, standing before a brick school building entrance in the background.

Today, more than 20 first-year Mandarin Chinese students in Dr. Ping Moroney’s 7th-grade class at Warwick Valley Middle School celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls this year on Friday, September 25!

In just the first few weeks of school, the students have begun building their foundation in Mandarin Chinese vocabulary and syntax, and have already learned some basic calligraphy. One detail that struck them right away as their lessons began: Chinese is written and read from top-to-bottom and right-to-left. The students have learned to write their names using Chinese characters, and their name tags and other artwork hung on the classroom wall as a colorful backdrop for the Mid-Autumn Festival lesson/celebration.

See a gallery from the class/celebration, and some of the students' early artwork and calligraphy below this story!

The widely celebrated holiday always takes place on the night of the full moon nearest the autumn equinox, and is traditionally a time when families gather together. Family members who may be far apart this time of year also spend time reflecting on and remembering their homes and loved ones. They will make a point of looking up at the same full moon that night to share a moment together no matter where they are.

Food plays a central role in the Mid-Autumn Festival. In fact, it is also called the Mooncake Festival, the students found it. Dr. Ping often includes traditional foods in her lessons. This year’s class/party was especially lively, thanks to two guest speakers (Both WVMS parents!) who visited to share their knowledge and traditions and help deepen the students' understanding.

The class dove into the festival’s traditions with a vocabulary lesson led by guest Ms. Cui, who also prepared mooncakes and spring rolls for the occasion. She guided the class through festival-specific words and phrases that are part of the stories behind the holiday. Mooncakes, in particular, symbolize reunion and completeness by their round shape, which also represents the full moon.

A woman in a traditional light-colored robe stands in the foreground, gesturing toward a screen in the background displaying a poem by Li Bai.

Another highlight was Mr. Chan’s homemade dumplings and sauce! Both Dylan and Mila Chan were in the class, so they already knew the deliciousness about to be shared. Before he passed them out, Mr. Chan told a brief story about Zhang Zhongjing, who first created and distributed dumplings to help villagers survive the harsh winter after harvest had passed. He also explained the origins of the dumplings’ shape.

“The shape of the dumplings is meant to look like golden nuggets,” he said, “which were a form of currency at one time.”

He also shared that Chinese families often make dumplings together around holidays, and passed along some recipe tips based on how his own family makes them. He also pointed out that the dumplings he’d brought to enjoy with the class were on the milder side of the ginger and garlic scale, just in case. Mr. Chan speaks mainly Cantonese, a different dialect than the Mandarin taught by Dr. Ping, so he gave the students a handy Cantonese phrase to use when ordering dumplings.

“I want to eat dumplings,” he demonstrated in Cantonese. Then, while waving a finger, “But…not too spicy!!”

He also showed the students how to use chopsticks and handed out sets for students to try and eat their dumplings with. Having Mr. Chan and Ms. Cui visit added a valuable, authentic dimension to the celebration, allowing students to connect more personally with the cultural traditions they are studying.

“Mid-Autumn Festival is a very moving holiday for us,” Dr. Ping explained. “So, it is so nice to have guest speakers join us whose families celebrate the holiday.”

Throughout their lessons, Dr. Ping has drawn connections between the Mid-Autumn Festival and Thanksgiving, highlighting themes of gratitude and togetherness -- not to mention the feasts -- common to both traditions. And with that in mind, the students sat down together to enjoy their dumplings, spring rolls, and two variations of mooncakes.

The lesson wrapped up with the students performing a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival song and choreography for their guests. Don't forget to look up at the moon on Friday night... Zhōngqiū kuàilè!!

A man in a grey hoodie and a woman in a red traditional blouse stand in a classroom with posters and a filing cabinet in the background.
Students sit at desks holding chopsticks in a classroom decorated with educational posters and a %22Futures in Mathematics%22 display.
A person in a white jacket takes a photo with a smartphone in the foreground, while a group of people stands in a blurred indoor background.
A young man feeds a piece of food to another man in the foreground, with a classroom setting and a digital screen visible in the background.
A student holds a large sign with Chinese characters in the foreground, while another student and a teacher stand in a classroom background.
Two students in hoodies stand in the foreground facing a person in a red garment, with a classroom setting and other students in the background.
A woman in a white jacket serves food from a tray to a group of young people in a room with wooden shelves in the background.
A blonde girl in a white t-shirt uses a utensil to prepare food in the foreground, while other students sit and stand in a classroom background.
A group of students sit at desks with food in a classroom, with a woman standing beside a tray of food in the background.
A person in a pink and black hoodie holds a piece of calligraphy in front of a wall decorated with Chinese characters and artwork.
A smiling girl holds up a piece of art in a classroom filled with educational posters and Chinese characters.
A smiling boy in a black hoodie holds up a piece of calligraphy art in front of a classroom wall decorated with educational posters.
A young boy in a striped shirt holds up a piece of calligraphy art in front of a classroom wall covered in Chinese characters.
A young boy in a white t-shirt holds a white poster with red and black Chinese characters and English translations, standing in front of a classroom wall with a calendar and educational charts.