Spirits were high on October 17^th as the Chinese National Honor Society (CHNS) held its annual Mid-Autumn Festival at Fair Lawn High School. The event was made possible by hours of dedication from both members of the CHNS and Fair Lawn middle school students taking a Chinese class. 

“I’m happy all of our hard work paid off. This looks amazing,” said a seventh grader from Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

The Fair Lawn High School D-Cafeteria was adorned with traditional Chinese lanterns, string lights, and a photo booth complete with festival props and signs. In addition to parents and teachers, students taking Chinese at Lyncrest Elementary School were invited to join the fun.

“To keep the elementary schoolers entertained, we set up stations where they could learn how to use chopsticks, draw with real calligraphy brushes, and make their own Chinese lanterns to bring home,” said a junior at Fair Lawn High School.

The festival boasted entertaining skits and performances by various teachers and students at different grade levels. A central skit in the event performed by members of the Chinese National Honor Society provided historical background regarding the Mid-Autumn Festival. Some of the content included a performance about emperors in the Zhou Dynasty who would consult the moon goddess for advice. Later on, as the skit showcased, the general public began having annual celebrations to celebrate the moon goddess and send her offerings.

“We memorized our lines in Chinese and constructed set pieces to enhance our performance,” said a junior at Fair Lawn High School. 

Yun Wang is the Chinese teacher for both Thomas Jefferson and Memorial Middle Schools. She demonstrated a genuine Chinese green tea plating ceremony for one of the performances. 

“We started working at the end of last school year. Since then, the middle schoolers have shown extreme dedication… I am proud of them all,” Wang said.

Guests were also enjoyed traditional Chinese treats such as moon cakes, a typical Mid-Autumn Festival food, and rice candies. All in all, the CHNS Mid-Autumn Festival was an overwhelming success.

“We had such a fun and culturally immersive night. I can’t wait for us to come back next year,” said the parent of a student attending Lyncrest Elementary School.

Photo Credits:

Header: https://studycli.org/about-chinas-mid-autumn-festival/

Thumbnail: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mid-Autumn_Festival-beijing.jpg