Celebrating World Festivals and Traditions

Children love festivals.  People love festivals.  They get together to celebrate the mythological as well as the ordinary (like tomatoes, oranges and cheese!)   Festivals honor film, music and religion.  Ethnic festivals can be the some of the most interesting ways to introduce your kiddos to other cultures!

We look forward to the Moon Festival every year around the end of September--that's when the harvest moon is in it's full glory.  The Moon Festival is a Chinese event where one gathers with family and friends in honor of the moon and the legends that surround it.  We make and display lanterns, have moon cakes (at least our version of them), tell stories, eat delicious, authentic chinese food and look at the moon through a telescope.  The magic of the moon is alluring to all. Most importantly, it's a tradition that we look forward to every year.

Here's a fun video which shows some of the craziest and amazing festivals from around the world--kids would love some of these for they can be quite messy--maybe it's a tradition you and your family might want to begin: