Mid-Autumn Traditions Shine Anew at Ang Mo Kio Primary
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Lanterns aglow, and away we go!
You can tell when an event is a big hit with pupils. While hundreds of brightly coloured paper lanterns were being lit, the pupils could be heard gleefully joking amongst themselves: "Hey, we're going to do the 'moon' walk!"
A dance performance? Not at all. It was all part of Ang Mo Kio Primary School's Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, and the highlight of the night was a traditional lantern-carrying procession around the school that involved more than a thousand pupils. Led by a professional lion dance troupe, the walkabout was a sight to behold, judging from the many curious glances from passing onlookers.
And to top it off, a cloudless sky offered clear views of a silvery-white full moon that beamed over an evening packed with games, traditional mid-autumn snacks, and a host of other exciting outdoor performances.
"In the end, we had a 200 metre-long entourage," said Mr Jimmy Koh, Head of Department for Chinese Language. "This shows that people still enjoy the traditional lantern-carrying procession."
Pupils get to learn how to make snowskin mooncakes the traditional way.
Not every school celebrates the Mid-autumn Festival, and fewer turn this traditional Chinese festival into a school-wide event. But Ang Mo Kio Primary School's Mid-autumn celebrations have become a highly anticipated date in the school's calendar, thanks to the joint efforts of the staff and enthusiastic parents, some of whom roped in the support of the Singapore Foochow Association.
The celebrations also coincided with the school's Family Day, according to principal Mrs Seah Lay Ting.
"We realised there wasn't a platform for teachers, parents and students to mingle together, save for 'meet the parents' sessions, which are very formal," explained Mrs Seah. "So we decided to give parents the opportunity to interact with teachers in a more relaxed environment."
Guess the flavour, Dad!
It was clear that few wanted to miss a chance to join in the festivity, which was in its third year running. The staff and pupils sold more than 1,400 tickets, which entitled each participant to a goodie bag with a paper lantern, a lucky draw coupon and vouchers for taking part at game stalls manned by teachers as well as pupil and parent volunteers.
The audience enjoying a show of traditional dances, skits and even a pomelo peeling contest!
True to the Family Day theme, many pupils turned up with their parents in tow, and both generations went all out to join in the fun at the booths. A mooncake-tasting challenge, for instance, pitted several father-daughter tag teams against one another, to see who could identify the most mooncake flavours.
Other parents were content to simply browse the many game stalls and offer moral support to their children who tried their hand at games, traditional riddles, and even mooncake making.
Working hard behind the scenes
It's safe to say that smooth running of this yearly extravaganza would not have been possible if not for the efforts of a small but dedicated group of parents, who work closely with the school staff and offer their help in various ways behind the scenes.
Parents and children getting ready for the Mass Lantern Walk.
One regular volunteer is Mdm Elsie Tan. The bubbly mother is a veteran who has been helping out at the school since her son began Pri 1. Her son is in Pri 6 this year, but Mdm Tan showed no sign of tiring as she, together with five other parents, took over the task of packing the festival's goodie bags - all 1,400 of them.
And instead of sitting back to relax when the work's done, she continued to bustle around the drinks stall, helping to sell refreshments to thirsty participants.
"Not every school celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival. When I was young, there was no such thing!" she laughed. "But this school does. As parents, our role is to support the school. Whenever they call for us, we will go and help."
Mr Koh promises that next year, pupils and parents can definitely look forward to even more exciting events such as cultural shows by performers from the community. "We are also considering to get more involvement from our parents to help out in the event, and maybe set up more stalls," he added.
Indeed, volunteering is more than simply lending a helping hand to others. As Mdm Tan wisely put it, "I've always told my son that there's more to just studying," she said. "It's also important to love one another, and the best way to do this is to show it in action."