Tsukimi

Cool autumn air, the rustling of tall grasses, and a night sky ruled by the radiant moon. In Japan, this time is called Tsukimi—moon viewing. The tradition is more than a thousand years old: as early as the Heian period (794–1185), Japanese courtiers gathered beneath the full moon to compose poetry. They admired not only the moon itself but also its reflection in the water of a pond or even in a cup of sake.

Over time, the celebration entered every home and became a day of gratitude for the harvest. The finest moon for viewing is considered to be the full moon of the fifteenth night of the eighth month according to the old lunar calendar. For this reason, it is called Jūgoya, “the fifteenth night.” It falls in the middle of autumn, when the sky is especially clear and the moon is bright.

By the window, people place a vase filled with the feathery stalks of susuki—Japanese silver grass. They stand in place of rice stalks that have not yet been harvested and, according to tradition, protect the home from misfortune. Beside them is a pyramid of fifteen white dango resembling small moons. In Tokyo, they are made round, while in Kyoto they are elongated like taro tubers and wrapped in sweet red bean paste. In the past, taro was offered to the moon, which is why this full moon is still known in some places as the “taro moon.” One month later, in October, another night of moon viewing arrives, known as the “chestnut moon” or the “bean moon.”

The Japanese even have special words for a night when the moon cannot be seen: mugetsu, “no moon,” when it is hidden by clouds, and ugetsu, the “rainy moon.” Even then, the celebration is not cancelled: people simply imagine the moon behind the clouds. During this season, restaurants also begin serving Tsukimi soba and Tsukimi udon—noodles topped with an egg whose yolk resembles the full moon.

On the silver disc, the Japanese see a rabbit pounding rice dough in a mortar. This image appears everywhere—on postcards, sweets and in children’s books.

Ukrainians have also honoured the moon since ancient times. They affectionately called it the “golden prince” and the “bright moon.” In Ukrainian carols, it is the head of the celestial family:

The bright moon is the master of the house,
The beautiful sun is his wife,
The little stars are their children.

Upon seeing the slender crescent of the new moon for the first time, people greeted it and crossed themselves so that the entire month would be fortunate, while young women made wishes to the new moon. Farmers followed the phases of the moon to determine when to sow and plant and when to gather the harvest.

Although we live far from one another, on a September night we look at the same moon. And perhaps it reminds us of what unites us: gratitude for the gifts of autumn, the warmth of family and the quiet beauty of a moonlit night.

This year, Tsukimi falls on September 25. May you have a beautiful full moon! What do you see when you look at the moon?