These dates typically fall in the months of September and October on our modern calendar.īook your Japan Rail Pass now Tsukimi traditional food The full moon celebration takes place on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, and the waxing moon celebration on the thirteenth day of the ninth month. Tsukimi dates are recorded on the traditional Japanese calendar, and must be translated to modern calendar dates. They are referred to as Mugetsu or Ugetsu, meaning “no moon” and “rain moon,” respectively. When the moon is not visible at festival time, celebrations are still held. Today, some people repeat the customs for several days following the full moon rather than simply on the night of the full moon. Some observers also visit shrines, burn incense, or make food offerings to Shinto gods. It involves traditional foods, decorations, and the beauty of nature. This festival is a rather solemn observance. These celebrations ceased when the Meiji period began in 1868. Moon viewing parties would then happen throughout the month – some on the thirteenth, others on the fifteenth, regional observances on the seventeenth, and Buddhist religious observances on the twenty-third or twenty-sixth. In that year, the calendar was altered so that the full moon fell on the fifteenth. Until 1683, the full moon always fell on the thirteenth day of each month. Some would board boats in order to view the moon’s reflection.īy the 1600s, the custom had become popular with the civilian population as well, where it became associated with existing traditions in which some of the rice harvest was offered to the gods. It is thought that moon-viewing parties originated with the introduction of the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival to the aristocratic elite, who would gather to listen to music and recite or compose poetry by moonlight. The Tsukimi tradition dates back to the Heian period, from 794 to 1185 A.D. It was thought that the viewer could express gratitude for this year’s harvest and hope for the year to come. Since ancient times, Japanese writings have identified the month of September as the best time for viewing the moon, as it is especially bright.
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