We learned about OTSUKIMI.
Why is the moon in mid-autumn so beautiful?
Because the crispy and bracing air comes along, and the heat of summer subsidies
Another name for chushu no meigets (the name of the moon we see on the day of Otsukimi) is imo meigetsu.
Because it is also the harvest season. So the night has a thanksgiving aspect and we tend to offer potatoes to the moon (not sweet potatoes, SATOIMO which is called yam, or taro.)
And, though nobody did know this custom.
You can "steal" some otsukimi dango ( we also offer rice dumplings to the moon).
Because kids are considered to be envoys from the moon and they are allowed to do so only on the night. Each home tries to display offerings that can be "stolen" easily.
Well, well, nowadays not so many people offer some things to the moon on the night, however, probably many people eat ODANGO on the day.
So we have to cook ODANGO.
We enjoyed cooking odango in not a usual way. I used a gadget, which is usually used to make TAKO-YAKI.
We made it.
Usually people decorate with silver grasses with the dumplings.
So instead of silver grasses, I picked up some lemon grasses in the garden.
Perfect. We had some there, and we shared the rest of them. It was a good souvenir.
2 comments:
I've never heard of putting out some treat for children to "steal"! I love the idea. Thank you for posting these explanations about this (sort of) holiday. :D
Thanks for your comments, Rosa.
Well, well, actually it is an interesting custom. However, I didn't know that, not only me, the other two ladies didn't know that. So it must be a custom in particular areas. Anyway before children steal them, flies must come on them.
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