Tết Trung Thu

The House of Wisdom English Teachers and Students Discussion Series: the Autumn Sessions will have student presentations for its September 27, 2025 class on the lanterns used in Tết Trung Thu.

We will present, either as pictures or descriptions (or both) the various lanterns we can find online and describe them or share the pictures of those different lanterns. Each presenter will say something about why this lantern appeals to them.

The academic substrate of this activity is the claim that cultural festivities have many layers of meaning, and Tết Trung Thu has many features of significance for all who participate!

We note that lanterns are a way to supply light in natural darkness and have a deep history in all socieites. Involving children in a ritual that celebrates life-giving light at the time of fall harvest is an introduction to our awareness of the cycles of nature and how we apply this knowledge to a crop like rice.

Exercise your imagination, find a lantern you like (historical or modern), create a lantern of your own by drawing one yourself, sharing a photo from your personal collection, or using AI, and then share the results of your investigation with the rest of the class.