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Mercury, July/August 2006 Table of Contents

by Anna H. Spitz

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival has been a special event in China for, some say, over 3000 years. This festival blends the celebration of the myths of ancient China about the Moon with the important harvest event in people’s daily lives. It is a time when the Moon Lady of myth is said to grant wishes to those who send her their one-of-a-kind, unforgettable, never-heard-by-anyone requests.

The date of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is the fifteenth day of the eighth Chinese lunar month. The new Moon marks the first day of a Chinese lunar month. In 2006, the celebration will fall on October 7th, and people will celebrate the event throughout the world.

Since 1991, American families have adopted over 55,000 children from China. To many of these families it is important to foster a connection between their children and the culture of their birth country. Southern Arizona Families with Children from China (SAFCC)—a chapter of the national organization—holds festivals and other events throughout the year to bring Chinese heritage to life for our children. Chinese festivals are held on dates determined from the Chinese lunar calendar, but few of the parents or children know much about the scientific or observational basis of the dates. They know about the myths and stories but little about the physical world that these ancient myths seek to explain. Along with Moon cakes, the traditional lantern parade, and stories about the Moon Lady, SAFCC decided it would enrich our children’s experience at the festival by letting them learn about the Moon as a physical object—we would view the Moon and provide materials that bring myth and observation together.

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