09Sep 2024 by catbird No Comments
Harvest Moon Sun Catcher

Harvest Moon Sun Catcher

Autumn, Craft Project, Folklore, Foraging, Full Moon, Harvest Moon, Nature Art, Nature Collection, Play
I know, I know, it should really be a moon catcher, but those aren't a thing and not all littles can stay up late enough to see the full moon! The Harvest Moon is what the September full moon is called in Europe and parts of North America. In most of Asia it is the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival and while I don't live in Asia, I find this celebration and it's related folktales super inspiring. I am also always interested in similarity of celebrations across cultures, and you will find some sort of harvest celebration in just about every place with a temperate climate this time of year, many with similar traditions. The Mid Autumn Festival is connected to the folktale of Chang'e and the Moon Rabbit. It's a lovely…
Read More
25Sep 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Mexican Hot Chocolate for the Harvest Moon

Mexican Hot Chocolate for the Harvest Moon

Autumn, Campfire, Harvest Moon, Recipes
As far I know this is not traditional anywhere except in my family, but Mexican hot chocolate on the Harvest Moon is a longstanding tradition for us. It started because my kids were always asking for hot cocoa in the summer and I was always telling them that it was the wrong season for cocoa. (Spring and summer are obviously tea season!) While winter is proper cocoa season fall is cocoa adjacent. Mexican hot chocolate has cinnamon which gives it a decidedly fall feeling for me. Because of that we decided that the Harvest moon was the official start of hot chocolate season. First things first, only Americans call it Mexican hot chocolate- in Mexico its just chocolate or champurrado. As early as 500 BC, the Mayans were drinking a chocolate…
Read More
24Sep 2023 by catbird 4 Comments
Harvest Moon Lanterns

Harvest Moon Lanterns

Autumn, Craft Project, Free Printable, Full Moon, Harvest Moon, Play
The Harvest Moon might just be my favorite full moon celebration, and its definetly the one we have been celebrating the longest. Its also an important celebration in many different cultures which is always something of interest to me. In Western Europe it was named the Harvest Moon because the light from the full moon helped farmers bring in the last of their crop well into the night. Many cultures believe that the Moon is at its brightest and fullest size at the Harvest Moon, coinciding with harvest time. At same time many American Indian tribes use full moon names referencing the harvest this time of year. (Read more here) In China and much of Southeast Asia there is the Mid-Autumn Festival. (In Japan its called: Tsukimi, Korea: Chuseok, and Vietnam:Tết Trung…
Read More