Otsukimi お月見 (Moon-gazing)

“Otsukimi” is the Moon-Viewing held in september.

DESCRIPTION
Originally, “Otsukimi” is the harvest festival which celebrate the good rice crop, with watching the full moon.
September 18th is called “”Chushu no Meigetsu” (harvest moon). This day, you can see the beautiful full moon.
In the night, people make an offering to the moon with seven flowers of autumn, dumplings and red japanese potatoes, that express gratitude.
Seven flowers of autumn are “bushclover”, “Japanese pampas grass”, “Japanese arrowroot”, “a pink
dianthus”, “patrinia scabiosaefolia”, “thoroughwort”, “bellflower”.

Nowadays, this custom is going out in common households, but in Shinto shirines and temples, “full moon festivals” are still held.

Picture: “full moon festival” in Hyogo prefecture