Otsukimi🎑

Otsukimi (The Moon Viewing Festival) is a traditional Japanese event where people celebrate and admire the beauty of the full moon in mid-September. 🌕

This festival has been a part of Japanese culture for over a thousand years, and it’s a time to give thanks for the autumn harvest.🙏✨

In Japan, people often decorate their homes with pampas grass (called susuki) and place offerings like rice dumplings (tsukimi dango), fruits, and taro to honor the moon. 

Families and friends gather to enjoy the bright, beautiful moon while sharing these foods.

When I was a child, I enjoyed celebrating Otsukimi with my family. 

We would make dango together and decorate the room with susuki (pampas grass), making the event a special and fun experience.🍡🎑

This may remind you of how people in Singapore celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, where mooncakes are shared and lanterns are lit to enjoy the full moon. 🌝

Just like in Japan, the moon is a symbol of reunion and togetherness.

Even though Otsukimi is less known in Singapore, both festivals share the idea of appreciating nature and spending time with loved ones under the moonlight. 

So next time you enjoy a mooncake, think of how people in Japan are also celebrating the same moon in their own way!🤭⭐️

Sayuri