Otsukimi (お月見） means

"viewing（見） the moon（月）".

The tradition originally came from China.
It first arrived in Japan during the Heian

period (794 to 1185). Japanese aristocrats

gathered to recite poetry under the full

moon of September 15th. Later it was

spread further among common people.
Because it was held in the harvest season,

it became an autumn thanksgiving event.

People decorate Susuki(silver glasses)

and offer Odango(rice dumplings)

to the moon.
The rice dumplings show thanks to god

for the rice harvest because they look like

a moon.

You might find "Tsukimi-udon" or

"Tsukimi-soba" on the menu at Japanese

restaurants. They are wheat or buckwheat

noodles with a raw egg on top, which

looks like a full moon.

During Tsukimi season in Japan,

McDonald's sells "Tsukimi burgers"

which is a regular hamburger

topped with a sunny-side egg.

Let's enjoy the harvest moon !

Otsukimi (viewing the moon)