Tsukimi
Tsukimi | |
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(similar festivals that generally occur on the same day in Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand ) |
Tsukimi (月見) or Otsukimi (お月見), meaning, "moon-viewing", are Japanese festivals honoring the autumn moon, a variant of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The celebration of the full moon typically takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the traditional Japanese calendar, known as Jūgoya (十五夜, fifteenth night);[1] the waxing moon is celebrated on the 13th day of the ninth month, known as Jūsan'ya (十三夜, thirteenth night). These days normally fall in September and October of the modern solar calendar.
The tradition dates to the
Tsukimi traditions include displaying decorations made from Japanese pampas grass (susuki) and eating rice dumplings called Tsukimi dango in order to celebrate the beauty of the Moon.[2] Seasonal produce are also displayed as offerings to the Moon. Sweet potatoes are offered to the full moon, while beans or chestnuts are offered to the waxing moon the following month. The alternate names of the celebrations, Imomeigetsu (meaning "potato harvest moon") and Mamemeigetsu (meaning "bean harvest moon") or Kurimeigetsu (meaning "chestnut harvest moon") are derived from these offerings.
History
Tsukimi refers to the Japanese tradition of holding parties to view the
From 862 until 1683, the Japanese calendar was arranged so that the full moon fell on the 13th day of each month. In 1684, however, the calendar was altered so that the
Festivals dedicated to the Moon have a long history in Japan. During the Heian period elements of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival were introduced to Japan. Members of the aristocratic class would hold moon-viewing events aboard boats in order to view the Moon's reflection on the surface of the water. The writing of waka poetry was also an element of such mid-autumn Moon viewing festivities.
There are specific terms in Japanese to refer to occasions when the Moon is not visible on the traditional mid-autumn evening, including Mugetsu (無月, "no-moon") and Ugetsu (雨月, "rain-moon"). Even when the Moon is not visible, however, Tsukimi parties are held. A Unicode emoji exists for Tsukimi (🎑), featuring pampas grass, dango and the Moon.[4][5]
Related foods
It is traditional to serve Tsukimi dango and seasonal produce offerings during Tsukimi, as described above. In addition, there are several other dishes associated with Tsukimi.
Boiled
At some Japanese fast food restaurants, a special Fall Menu is offered during September and October featuring fried egg sandwiches known as Tsukimi burgers.
See also
- List of harvest festivals
- Chuseok, the Korean autumn harvest festival held on the same day
- Mid-Autumn Festival, the Chinese Moon-observance festival held on the same day
- 月見
- Hanami
References
- ^ a b ""Tsukimi": The Japanese Tradition of Autumn Moon Viewing". nippon.com. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
- ^ Colleen Smith (September 25, 2015). "Where to view the harvest moon?". The Denver Post.
- ^ "Tsukimi: Japan's Mid-Autumn Harvest Moon Festival - Japan Rail Pass". Japan Experience. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
- ^ Connor, Liz. "This is what some of the weirdest emojis actually mean". Evening Standard. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ "🎑 Moon Viewing Ceremony Emoji". Emojipedia. Retrieved 2022-09-11.