Did You Know San Francisco Celebrates the Moon?
While Westerners may talk about the ??œman in the moon???, the Chinese speak of the???œwoman in the moon???.
As our days are getting noticeably shorter with the Autumn Equinox now behind us, there is good reason why every San Franciscan takes notice of the moon.? Both September????s Harvest and October????s Hunter????s full moons rise in the East roughly at approximately the same time the sun sets in the West and vice a versa in the early morning. What a perfect time for every San Franciscan to celebrate the Chinese ??œwoman in the moon???.??
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On the 15t h day of the 8th month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the bounty of the summer harvest, the fullness of the moon and the immortal moon Goddess, Chang O (who lives in the moon) is celebrated in different parts of Asia with festivals of many names: the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Moon Festival,?and/or Moon Cake Festival.
One of two auspicious San Francisco festivals in Chinatown each year (Chinese Lunar New Year being the other) is the highly celebrated Annual Chinatown Autumn Moon Festival Street Fair and one not to be missed next year.??
Walking down Grant Street, one can easily imagine being at any one of these Asian festivals with the excitement of dragon dancers performing to the beat of the drums and gongs.
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And listening to the unique sound of a Chinese Opera in concert on the street.??
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And the sound of Chinese vendors calling out ?œˆ???, ?œˆ??? ?(moon cakes, moon cakes) on the street, as they sell the traditional festival food, the moon cake. The moon cake is to be eaten outside under the Harvest Moon with good friends and family, looking up at the rising ??œwoman in the moon???, as the moon cake symbolizes a ??œChinese Thanksgiving??? of sorts as the bounty of the summer harvest ends.?
Mark your calendar now for another San Francisco photo-op as the October Hunter Moon rises on Thursday, October 25 just as the sun is setting at 5:51 PM and look for the ??œwoman in the moon???.
