There is an old custom of celebrating the full moon on the fifteenth day of the eighth month on the traditional Japanese calendar. It’s a very poetic and elegant practice, with people placing ornaments and offerings next to windows, on verandas, and in other places where one can see the moon. Vases are filled with pampas grass and autumnal herbs, and seasonal foods like dumplings, pears, persimmons, and grapes are placed on dishes. Autumn consisted of the seventh, eighth, and ninth months of the year on the old Japanese calendar. The full moon in the middle autumnal month, called chushu no meigetsu, was considered particularly beautiful, as the air became crisper and the heat of summer subsided. The traditional Japanese calendar and the modern one used by countries around the world today are off by about a month. Thus chushu no meigetsu usually falls on September 12. The full moon, though, will actually appear on September 14; it’s not unusual ...more