HIGHLIGHTS

The Mid-Autumn Festivities

Mrs. Jessie Ang, Assistant for Chinese Administrative Matters

Posted Monday, 23-Oct-2006 2:09 PM

     “When is the Mooncake Festival laoshi?”“ Are we going to play the dice game laoshi, why not?” “Did you receive any mooncake yet, ‘Cher?” “Where can I buy the most delicious mooncake?” Once students hear stories and legends about the moon or mooncake, students know more or less that it’s almost Mid-Autumn Festival and they start asking questions. Even teachers are interested in it since it is part of our tradition to celebrate it one way or the other.

     This year, the Mooncake Festival fell on October 6, 2006 the 15th day of August on the Lunar Calendar. While Grades 4 – 7 students were having the Community Mass, some of the Grade 1 pupils were already playing the dice game during their Chinese period. The dice game is a popular game being traditionally played by the Chinese-Filipinos all over the country. This is a game where family, friends, or relatives are gathered around a table to be together, to be reunited and to have fun. Just like the Grade 1 students, the Grade 4 students also had the chance to play the game but this time during their Club time. We are especially thankful to the parent volunteers of both grade levels who took time out to assist the Class Advisers and the Chinese teachers in facilitating the game. It had been quite some time since the students had the chance to play this game so shouts of cheer and laughter could be heard all throughout.

     Other activities included Grade 2 students coloring the picture of Chang E on the moon with her rabbit while Grades 5 and 7 students had the chance to show how well they know the stories or the legends associated with the Mooncake Festival through drawings. Their beautiful works are still posted outside the classrooms.

    The High School students have varied activities to celebrate the Mooncake Festival as well like having contests, reciting poems, singing and showing videos about the moon. Some students brought mooncake which they shared to the other members of the group. The fourth year students had a special celebration last October 10, 2006 in the MPC since this is their last year in Xavier School. The Chinese Department wanted them to have a more memorable experience of this festival to take with them when they go to college. There was a Quiz Bee where the questions came not only from the Chinese, but also from the Science and Math Departments. Students cheered happily for their classmates as their class numbers were called and they rooted for them. While the tie breaking questions were asked, the seniors together with their teachers partook of the mini mooncake prepared by the department for them. The Chinese teachers were all one in saying that the activity was quite a success because the seniors took the contest seriously, were generally behaved and disciplined even amidst the cheer.

Go back to the top ^