INFORMATION

Do you know what the day of Chūshū no Meigetsu (The Harvest Moon) is?
On this day in Japan, it is traditional to observe the moon, which is called Tsukimi (Moon viewing).
Tsukimi is meant to pray for a rich harvest of autumn crops and to express gratitude for nature's bounty.

In autumn, the air is clear and the night sky is very beautiful;
so it is said that the moon at this time appears more beautiful than at any other time of the year.

The date of The Harvest Moon varies from year to year.
While the lunar calendar based the year on the phases of the moon, the new calendar is based on the phases of the sun;
so the beginning of the year as well as the length of the year are different.
Therefore, according to the lunar calendar, the date is considered to be on the night of 15th (Jyūgoya) of August,
but according to the modern, new calendar, it falls in mid-September to early October.
By the way, The Harvest Moon of 2022 was on Saturday, September 10! How did you spend your night at Chūshū no Meigetsu?

In this article, we present the cultures and customs of this tradition in different countries!

【JAPAN】
・Tsukimi-Dango (Full moon dumpling)
This custom started in the Edo period.
It is said that by making dumplings from the harvested rice and placing them as an offering,
it is meant to pray for a good harvest of crops.

・Imo-Meigetsu (Great moon of potatoes)
In the old days, it was also called Imo-Meigetsu (Great moon of potatoes) in addition to Chūshū no Meigetsu.
In the old days, people could not harvest enough rice as a staple food, so many people ate potatoes instead.
Therefore, it is said that Chūshū no Meigetsu has a meaning of celebrating the harvest of potatoes,
and from the remnants of this meaning, people began to place offerings of sweet potatoes and taros.


【CHINA】
Name: Zhōngqiū jié (Mid-Autumn Festival)
The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most traditionally celebrated national holiday in China, after the Chinese New Year.
The round moon symbolizes the reunion of people sitting together at a round table. Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival,
people return to their parents' homes and gather with their families to spend time together.

・Yuè bǐng (Mooncake)
Yuè bǐng are one of the essential foods for the Mid-Autumn Festival. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches,
many different kinds of mooncakes are displayed in stores and markets.
These mooncakes are often round in shape, with a thin skin filled with ingredients and red bean paste, and baked while pressed.
They are a sweet and tender traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival snack.
Traditional fillings are kneaded lotus seeds, lots of nuts, or bean paste and egg yolk. Recently,
mooncakes containing modern flavors such as ice cream and chocolate have been introduced.

【SOUTH KOREA】
Name: Chuseok (Autumn evening)
Like China, it is a representative Korean festival as well as the Chinese New Year.
Every year, the day of Chuseok (August 15 on the lunar calendar)
and one day before and after are holidays for relatives to gather in their hometowns to visit the graves of their ancestors and to give thanks for the autumn harvest.

The custom of Autumn Evening, which is regarded as the day when the moon shines brightest of the year,
has been celebrated with great festivities since ancient times, and gradually formed into a well-known festival,
which has been transmitted to the present day.

・Songpyeon (Pine Rice Cake)
Many households make Songpyeon cakes on the day before Chuseok.
It is a typical food for the Autumn Evening, made by kneading leavened rice flour to make dough,
then filling it with sesame seeds, beans, azuki beans, chestnuts, etc., and cooking it in a steamer lined with pine needles.
In Korea, it is said that if these pine rice cakes can be made into a beautiful shape,
single women will be blessed with a marriage partner and pregnant women will have a lovely baby.

※Wikipedia citation
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%BD%E3%83%B3%E3%83%94%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3


【Vietnam】
Name: Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival)
It is also considered a day to admire the moon in Vietnam,
and seems to be a traditional custom to observe the moon and give thanks for a bountiful harvest.


Many people return to their homes for a family meal together, as they do for New Year.
Children are also allowed to play late into the night and may go out to night food stalls.

While Japanese people spend a quiet time observing the moon and enjoying Tsukimi-Dango dumplings,
Vietnamese people are said to have a very lively atmosphere.

・Bánh Trung Thu (Mooncake)
In Vietnam, mooncakes are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, just like in China. In olden times,
it was an offering, but in recent years, it is popular as a gift for loved ones,
and is sold in large quantities at supermarkets throughout the city during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

How do you spend the day of Chūshū no Meigetsu (The Harvest Moon) in your country?
It is very interesting that customs differ from country to country.
Please let us know the customs and events in your country!