Tonight was the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. It's an occasion for family reunion. Similar to our Thanksgiving, people gather and give thanks for a good harvest. You remember those family members that cannot be with you and celebrate the biggest full moon of the year which is always the 15th day of 8th Chinese lunar month. Many Chinese believe that we are connected by sharing the same moon. Many children do a lantern parade and family enjoy mooncakes. They are quite interesting.
We began our evening at Miss Yips, a Chinese Restaurant on Miami Beach. There were 80 adoptive parents and children there. We ate with our good friends Alan and Shannon along with their five year old son Ryan. They should travel to China about a month prior to us to bring their daughter Mia home. After dinner we paraded down Lincoln Road with the children holding paper lanterns, balloons and beach balls all the way to the beach. When we got to the beach it was dark and then all at once we released our balloons with wishes attached (we wrote a wish to a family member that could not be with us). This is especially poignant for the children as it is a time to remember their birth families in China. The moon rose and it was so large and golden. We then hung around for a little while just enjoying the moment. We cannot wait for Katie to be with us at this wonderful festival next year.
It was a fantastic evening shared with great friends that we will always remember. Below are some pictures from the festival.
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