Taiwan: Mid-Autumn Moon Festival

National Stare at the Moon Day is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, which fell on October 6th this year.  On this day, the full moon is said to be at its largest of the entire year, and this year, was said to be at its largest in nine years.

[Uncle Danny at the BBQ with his college classmate's wife and children]

Taiwanese celebrate this day by breaking out the barbeque and heading for the nearest park or, if they’re lazy, the nearest sidewalk.  There was actually a haze in the sky because EVERYONE in the entire COUNTRY was barbequing.  I went out to a park in northern Taipei with Uncle Danny and his college classmates.

[A picture of the moon, taken by Uncle Matt on his Canon 30D during the 2006 Moon Festival]

While Westerners see a man’s face on the moon (actually, I never could see that…), Danny told me that the Chinese see a big, white rabbit on the moon (which looks so much more obvious to me!)  This figure is also known as the Jade Rabbit, and it is said that a rabbit was sent to live there after making a noble sacrifice of itself.