TUKIMI is a Japanese moon-viewing festival which celebrates the beauty of the full moon. Last Saturday, I visited my friends in Kanagawa and had a small party!
先週の日曜日は中秋の名月、十五夜でした。一日お天気はぐずついていましたが、夜にはきれいなお月さまが！お月見とは、十五夜と十三夜のお月さまを眺めることで、どちらかだけを見るのは「方見月」と言われ昔から嫌われたそう。見れてよかった、よかった～。実はこの夜は、月見の宴に招いてもらい、神奈川県の大倉山へ行ってきました。手作り大好きな私たち、とびっきりおいしい夕食の後は、いつの間にやら、夜な夜な各自黙々とモビールを作る会へと…。写真は「落ち葉（本物！）のモビール」。部屋のライトを満月に見立てています。
"Tsukimi refers to the Japanese tradition of holding parties to view the harvest moon. The custom is thought to have originated with Japanese aristocrats during the Heian period, who would gather to recite poetry under the full moon of the eighth month of the lunisolar calendar, known as the "Mid-Autumn Moon." Since ancient times, Japanese people have described the eighth lunisolar month (corresponding to September on the contemporary Gregorian calendar) as the best time for looking at the moon, since the relative positions of the earth, sun, and moon cause the moon to appear especially bright.On the evening of the full moon, it is traditional to gather in a place where the moon can be seen clearly, decorate the scene with Japanese pampas grass, and to serve white rice dumplings, taro, edamame, chestnuts and other seasonal foods, plus sake as offerings to the moon in order to pray for an abundant harvest. These dishes are known collectively as Tsukimi dishes. Due to the ubiquity of sweet potato or taro among these dishes, the tradition is known as Imomeigetsu or "Potato harvest moon" in some parts of Japan."
In our party, we, hand-making lovers, made mobiles. Here is the one with autumn leaves. The light in the room looks like a full moon, doesn't it!?
In Japan, we say "Rabbits are making MOCHI(rice dumplings) in the moon." Somehow the pattern on the full moon looks like rabbits for Japanese people:-) On TV screen, we displayed our mobile and KIRIE(cut-pictures). It was such a fun creative night!
月と言えば、うさぎ。今日という日にぴったりの切り絵です。私はお月さまをイメージして、切り絵を貼り合わせてみました。私達らしい月見の宴！楽しい夜でした。
今度の十三夜は丁度ゆったりおったりの森の収穫祭（in 源左衛門農場）にあたります。またきれいなお月さまが見られますように…
収穫祭の詳細はこちらからどうぞ。
http://www.ab.auone-net.jp/~yuttari/pg227.html