It is still hot, but at last I've come to feel a little bit of autumn. Nicer and more
cozy breeze in the evening and the longer nights. Also, air is more limpid,
which makes the moon look more beautiful.
Since olden times, we have a traditional event known
as “tsukimi (moon-viewing)”, refers to Japanese festivals honoring
the autumn moon. It takes place on August 15th and September 13th in the
lunar calendar. (These days normally fall
in September and October of the modern solar calendar.) Traditionally, we made”
tsutkimi- dango” (rice dumplings for the moon-viewing) and offered crops in
season together with pampas grass, appreciating the rich harvest of the year
and hoping for good crops in the coming year.
Nowadays, the way of observance
has changed, and less people offer pampas grass and crops in season. But, we
still appreciate the nature, enjoy viewing moon and eating "tsukimi-dango" with a
nice cup of tea.
