O-tsukimi, or moon-viewing, is a Japanese custom where people and families gather to look at the moon on the day when it is at its fullest and brightest due to the clear autumn sky. O-tsukimi is also known as the 15th night, as it used to occur on the 8th month and 15th day of the lunar calendar, but it now occurs between mid-September and early October with the date changing every year.
Although the Japanese have enjoyed looking at the moon since ancient times, this custom of viewing the moon became popular during the Heian period in Japan. It had been introduced by China and was enjoyed by the aristocrats. They would set out on boats and enjoy drinking sake while listening to orchestral music. They would also write poetry while gazing at the moon.
During the Edo period, o-tsukimi spread amongst the common people, and they began using the event to pray for a good harvest. Over the years, the purpose of showing gratitude for each harvest became stronger and stronger.
During o-tsukimi you may see several decorations, such as pampas grass, dumplings, and rabbits. Pampas grass, called susuki in Japanese, serves as a talisman. The pampas grass is said to ward off evil and prevent illness and disasters. sticky rice balls, called o-dango in Japanese, are round rice balls filled with red bean paste. They are round and white like the moon and help facilitate health and happiness. People generally offer 15 dumplings.
As for the rabbits, there is a saying in Japanese that goes "tsuki de ha, usagi ga mochi wo tsuiteteiru". This translates to "There is a rabbit pounding rice balls on the moon". This saying comes from a myth that derived from India called "Moon Rabbit". In Japan, it is said that the shadows on the moon look like a rabbit making mochi.
So, how did we spend o-tsukimi? Well, we first made our own offering of mochi and a bunny from homemade playdough. My daughter loves mixing ingredients, so it was a nice sensory activity and an exciting way to spend the morning.
Since mochi is extremely dangerous for babies and the elderly to eat, we opted for a modified o-dango for snack time. We just mashed up rice and baked it in the oven. We then made some delicious mitarashi sauce, and she drizzled it over the dango.
For Dinner, my husband and I tried the tsukimi special items. The tsukimi pie was filled with mochi and red bean, and the tsukimi burger was covered in a special sukiyaki sauce and fried egg. Trying them was a nice treat! While they aren't my favorite, it was a cool way to celebrate the event!
Finally, we went out in search of the moon. It was extremely round and bright, and many people were taking pictures. Unfortunately, I don't have a good enough camera for that, so I just tried to take it in as best as I could.
I didn't write a poem this year because I honestly forgot about tsukimi until I picked my daughter up at school and saw their decorations. Did you do anything for o-tsukimi? Any fun things you'd like to share? Leave them in the comments below~!
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