|
It was 1200 years ago that the Japanese came to appreciate the Autumn moon, also known as the “harvest moon”. In Japan, September is when the moon is most beautiful and because the weather is nice, many people can enjoy viewing the “harvest moon”. The night when the most beautiful moon appears, is called "the fifteenth night" (in Japanese "Jyugoya"). This celebration normally takes place on the fifteenth night of the eighth month in the lunar calendar.
However, when viewing the solar calendar Jyugoya changes every year. This year September 27th will be the day in which we observe the full moon. Since ancient times, it has been a custom for Japanese people to set an altar at the place where the moon is seen. Displayed on the altar will be Japanese silver grass, dumpling cakes, taro, soybeans and chestnuts. These goods are offered to the moon in hopes of a good harvest. As a result of this moon-viewing custom, a new tradition of eating dumplings made specifically for this special occasion began. These sweets can be found at the front of Japanese-style confection stores. The shape of the dumpling varies by region. In Kyoto, it is round and coated by sweet bean jam.
|
 |
