September 16, 2024
Families make lanterns for Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines’ Mid-Autumn Festival at BTCC
By Dorothy Castro
Students and parents at Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines created lanterns together for the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration last September 13 at the Buddhist Tzu Chi Campus (BTCC) in Sta. Mesa, Manila.
Lantern-making with the family is a tradition of the Mid-Autumn Festival, otherwise known as Mooncake Festival. Celebrated around September to October, this event is a chance for families across many Asian countries to reunite and express gratitude for their blessings, according to China Highlights. Teacher Beniliza Polican was the project head for this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival
Incorporating Tzu Chi’s mission of caring for the environment, students and their parents made lanterns using recycled materials such as egg cartons, PET bottles, and scrap paper.
Familiar with the foundation's dedication to eco-friendly initiatives such as recycling, Tzu Chi volunteer Michelle Fang knew exactly where to start. Together with daughter Olivia Lai, she collected leftover materials in their house, from an empty PET bottle and cotton to used string lights.
For Fang, this proved to be a meaningful learning process for her and young Olivia. She commended the preschool’s dedication to the learners' growth through these fun crafts and ensuring that parents are involved.
Families had refreshing snacks while they made fruit art, cutting up fruits in various shapes and designs. Adorable bears, butterflies, and other animal shapes decorated each family's plates. In addition to the enjoyment, this activity also holds importance in celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival: In this festivity, mooncakes and fruits are shared among families, Polican described.
Joy and Regan Pacheco, parents of Regan Lucas, were glad to learn about this event and appreciated connecting with other students and fellow parents.
“It's fun for family bonding, especially for the kids. Thank you, Tzu Chi, for organizing this special event to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival,” said Joy.
Likewise, Polican expressed gratitude to the parents for their time. She hopes this leads to more meaningful connections within the school community.
Parents and guardians had a wonderful time creating fruit art during the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.
Joy and Regan Pacheco take a happy photo with their son Regan Lucas (first from left).
Michelle Fang and daughter Olivia Lai pose with their creative lantern.
Parents enjoyed the fruit art activity with their daughter.
A family smiles for a lovely photo with their artwork made using fruits.
A family takes a photo while presenting their handmade lantern.
A parent poses for a photo with her daughter while showing off their creative lantern.
Michelle Fang and daughter Olivia Lai’s lantern was made from leftover materials such as cotton, plastic bottle, and small astronauts and planets decorating the piece.
Everyone’s creativity was showcased through the fruit-art-making portion of the event.
Joyous parents pose with their daughter during the Mid-Autumn Festival celebration.
A parent guides her daughter in making the fruit art.
A parent happily poses with her son while showing the lantern they made.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is “about family bonding, and even perhaps community bonding with the school,” says Beniliza Polican, Chinese teacher at Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines.
Each family brought home mooncakes from Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines.
The celebration concluded with a group photo with the Tzu Chi Great Love Preschool Philippines teachers, non-teaching staff, students, and parents.