We celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival today. We did the usual walk at night with the boys, with them carrying their handmade lanterns, the flickering tealights casting a warm glow in the dark. We spotted the full moon. This round, we ate mooncakes, which my mum always buys for us. For once, Lil J could join in, as I also made a milo & soy jelly version that didn't have egg in them (using this recipe from a fellow mummy blogger, WaiWai).
Looking back, we have been celebrating this festival for the past few years. Some things have not changed: we've always made our own lanterns since the time we made them while staying abroad. There is always the night walk with lanterns.
Then there are things that are different: Sometimes we celebrate with friends, sometimes it is just us as a family. Each year, the designs of our lanterns change. This year, we didn't have much time to work on ours so we just decorated them with washi tape and magic tape.
I realize these festivals and celebrations are a wonderful way of marking how far we've come as a family. They are markers in a busy year. They help to make meaningful memories as we celebrate with set traditions. They let us to look to the past, and learn more about our culture. Looking back at the past few years, I am thankful to see how we've grown. Lil J was still too young to finish decorating his lantern last year, but finished his this year. He swung his lantern so much then, and we spent alot of time carrying it for him. This year, he carried his own lantern with pride. Last year, the kids didn't get to eat mooncake, but this year, they did. I realize we have more or less learnt how to work around Lil J's food allergies, so that he doesn't feel left out when it came to treats like these.
So I am thankful for these little celebrations, and these little milestones. What are you thankful for this week?
Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! I intended to try Wai Wai's no-bake moon cake recipe too, but haven't gotten down to buying the moulds! And thanks so much for your washi tapes recommendation, managed to purchase a few from Daiso and washified my first project - the storage cabinet!
ReplyDeletehttp://homeschoolcrafts.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/washified-storage-cabinet-drawers-diy-makeover/
Dawn: I'm glad you managed to find the tapes at Daiso! And the cabinet looks so cheery after the makeover! :)
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