And now let's have some fun: Tsukimi the Mid-Autumn Festival

Rising over the horizon at sunset, the full moon appears larger and more colorful. In Japan, this is the time of year when families gather together to celebrate the harvest. This Japanese moon-watching festival is a time to admire, give thanks, and celebrate the beauty of nature's seasonal fruits.

The history of the festival

The tradition of Tsukimi is said to date back to the Nara period, however, it was not until the Heian era that the celebration became popular. Court nobles celebrated the moon-watching by indulging in elaborate banquets at ponds, musical performances, and recitations of poems dedicated to the moon. The custom evolved during the Edo period, when farmers named the celebration a harvest festival as a sign of thanksgiving to Mother Nature. Another image associated with the festival is rabbit-shaped mochi. People believe that rabbits are the inhabitants of the moon. It is said that if you look closely at the face of the moon, you will see the shape of a rabbit pounding mochi with a wooden mallet and mortar. 

How is Tsukimi celebrated?

The festival celebration is usually held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. It is a time of reflection, thanksgiving, and prayers for good health. Many temples and shrines throughout Japan celebrate the event with performances such as traditional dances and poetry recitals from the Heian era. In most Japanese homes, people place ornaments and decorations such as pampas grass, clover, and autumn flowers near windows where the moon can be seen. Dango, persimmons, chestnuts, grapes, and pears are laid out on the south-facing porch so that food can be shared with the moon god.

During this festival, Japanese people eat typical food of this event. Here are some:

Tsukimi Dango is the most traditional food associated with Tsukimi. They are white rice balls stacked in the shape of a pyramid. 15 of them are needed to build the pyramid.

Another typical dish is rabbit-shaped mochi, a sticky rice cake, made in the shape of this cute little animal, because the craters on the moon seem to resemble a rabbit beating the mochi.

The Japanese have always focused on seasonal food, so eating and thanking nature for the autumn fruits and vegetables that the season provides. You can find chestnuts, kabocha, persimmons, Japanese sweet potatoes, taro, grapes and pears and so on that are served as an offering to the moon. Another highlight of Japanese cuisine during Tsukimi are dishes with raw egg or cooked egg split in half. Some noodle restaurants in Japan serve Tsukimi Soba and Tsukimi udon topped with an additional egg. The deep yellow of the egg yolk reminds of the brightest full moon.

Tsukimi-udon

Tsukimi-soba

The Japanese have a tendency to mix the old and the new in their way of life, so it is no surprise that Tsukimi Burger is on the menu. It consists of a hamburger with an egg in the middle. The eggs are meant to symbolize the moon.

We can celebrate Tsukimi at home or in Japan, if we are traveling to the Land of the Rising Sun during that period. If you are in Japan, you can participate in moon gazing at some temples, shrines, or by taking boat trips organized by some famous gardens. If you are at home, you can celebrate the festival by preparing some of these foods and observing the moon with friends and family, perhaps even on the shore of a lake.