Moon Rabbit and Mochi Pounding

September 29th is the "Mid-Autumn Meigetsu".

But what is the "Mid-Autumn Meigetsu" in the first place?

 

What is the "Mid-Autumn Moon"?

The full moon rising around this time is called the "Mid-Autumn Moon." This is because the sky is high and the moon is beautiful at night.

The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival was introduced to Japan in the Heian period (794-1185), and since "Tsukuyominomikoto," the god of the moon, is also the god of agriculture, it became an event to express gratitude to the moon, praying to the moon for a good harvest of rice, and celebrating the harvest of potatoes. The content of the moon-viewing event differs depending on the region and the theory behind the event.

 

（This is a tsukimi dango）

The reason why rabbits are said to live in the moon is based on the following Buddhist legend.

There was once a rabbit, a fox, and a monkey. One day, they met an old man who was exhausted and begging for food. The monkey got nuts and the fox got fish, but the hare couldn't bring anything, despite his best efforts. The hare was so distressed that he said, "Please eat me," and jumped into the fire to offer himself to the old man. The old man was actually a god named Teishakuten, who wanted to test the behavior of the three rabbits. Teishakuten took pity on the rabbit and brought him back to life in the moon to set an example for everyone."

And it is said that the rabbit is making rice cakes for the old man.

 

Is it said that there is something like a rabbit on the moon in your country?

And are there any legends about it?

Please let me know if you have a chance.

 

That's all for this time. See you again in the next blog.