Harvest Moon

Gerrard Street, London. Photo © Rob Jones

You can’t miss it…

The moon is huge tonight. And rising with a pleasant pink tint, becoming brighter and whiter as it rises. It’s the Harvest Moon, the closest full moon to the Autumn Equinox.

It feels as though it should have meaning, and of course it did, and does to a certain extent. After a late blush, the temperatures are certainly cooling quickly. Though not enough to warrant putting on the central heating. Certainly time to search through the drawers for warmer clothing.

When I was younger it also meant Harvest Festival time. A time to be thankful for bringing in the crops and counting one’s blessings. In this day of any fruit or vegetable at any time of the year in the supermarket, the relevance of it all has simply gone away.

It’s a far bigger event even now in China where it’s celebrated as the Mid-Autumn Festival. While I was living there, I grew fat on Moon Cakes in all their variety. Sadly, when I trotted up the road to the Oriental Supermarket earlier I was told, ‘All Gone, Season Over.’ These are rich pastries, filled with sweet bean, egg yolk or lotus seed paste. Might look into how to make them.

It’s one of the most important holidays in China, almost on a par with Chinese New Year. It’s a time of lanterns of all shapes and sizes - symbolising beacons that light the people’s path to prosperity and good fortune.

It’s also associated with the myth of the moon goddess - Chang’e.

So the story goes… long ago there were ten suns scorching the earth. The legendary archer Hou Yi shot down nine of them and was rewarded with two portions of the elixir of immortality. Hou Yi wanted to share the potion with his wife Chang-e, and pledged to drink it together after a hunting trip. While he was away Hou Yi’s apprentice Feng Meng broke in and tried to force Chang’e to give him the elixir. Rather than give it to him, she drank both potions. As a result, she flew up to the moon as her immortal residence. Hou Yi came home and discovered what had happened and was so sad, he laid out all Chang’e’s favourite foods, and killed himself. A psychoanalyst would have a field day.

It gets a bit hazy what happens after that, and I get confused, but I think she ends up living a lonely life on the moon with a massive rabbit. Don’t quote me.

R