Let's View The Moon Tonight (2004-09-28)
When I was growing up in Hong Kong, I enjoyed Mid Autumn Festival a lot. I loved eating moon cakes (very sweet round pastry made of lotus seed paste and salted duck yolk(s) in the center, what a dynamic combination.) and playing with my paper latern with a real burning candle in it, and totally forgot to look at the full moon in the sky which is what people are supposed to do during the Festival.
In Japan such Festival is called Otsukimi meaning to "view the moon"
and is a much lower key event. According to the lunar calendar,
this year's Otsukimi falls on Sep 28th. Japanese people celebrate
today by gathering near the window or balcony at home and quietly enjoy
the full moon with special food. In Tokyo and the Kanto region
(central eastern Japan); sweet rice balls, taro, sweet potatoes, chestnuts,
persimmons and edamame usually accompany the moon viewing ritual.
Tonight I'll be sitting by the balcony gazing at the big round bright moon and drool while I dream about Hong Kong mooncakes.
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