Sweet potato harvest moon - Imo Meigetsu

This refers to the harvest moon that occurs on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month (the 15th night). People would celebrate the harvest by digging up new sweet potatoes (taro) and offering them in hot water before the moon. It is said that "To celebrate the harvest moon, mountains of sweet potatoes are piled high on three sides" (Oyudonoki), and there is also a custom of turning a blind eye to children attaching nails to the end of poles to take offerings from other people's houses or stealing sweet potatoes from other people's fields. It has also been used as a seasonal word for autumn in haiku poetry. "Clouds and mist, and the sweet potato harvest moon over the kinukatsuki" (Teicho Enokoshu) and "The turnip is over the sweet potato harvest moon over Higashiyama" (Yasunagaya Gyokukaishu).
[Kesao Okada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

陰暦8月15日（十五夜）の名月をいう。新芋（サトイモ）を掘り、水炊きのまま月前に供えたりして収穫を祝った。「名月御祝、三方に芋ばかり高盛り」（『御湯殿記』）とあり、この日、子供たちが竿(さお)の先に釘(くぎ)などをつけて他人の家の供え物をとったり、他人の畑の芋を盗んだりしても、大目にみるというような風習もみられる。俳諧(はいかい)でも秋の季語として詠まれた。「雲霧や芋名月のきぬかつき」（貞徳『犬子(えのこ)集』）、「蕪(かぶら)よりいも名月やひがしやま」（安永『玉海集』）
［岡田袈裟男］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例