SHINTO TSUKIMI (FULL MOON GAZING) CELEBRATION

SHINTO TSUKIMI (FULL MOON GAZING) CELEBRATION! Sunday, November 22nd - Gathering: 6:30 - Celebration: 7- By Joe Hajimemashite! (Greetings, Nice to meet you!) Please join us at the Circle of the Sublime Elms as we transform our circle into a Shinto jinja (shrine) on the evening of the full moon to celebrate the coming of the Fall season by holding our Tsukimi (or otsukimi) translated as "moon gazing". Moon gazing and enjoying the aesthetics of the outdoors is very popular in Japan around the early fall as the weather cools from the heat of summer, as well it is a time to celebrate the bounty of the harvest and wish for good fortune the rest of the year. Many will gather in parks, fields and backyards and read poetry, sing traditional songs and dine on mooncakes and, of course enjoy one of the better-known products of the rice harvest, sake. Besides enjoying the pleasant weather outdoors, many visit Shinto shrines throughout Japan to pay homage to and to petition the kami (nature spirits) for good fortune, to cleanse and release any negative energies, and to also receive a fortune! (omikuji) Shinto (the way of the gods) is the indigenous religious tradition of the Japanese people and has been practiced for more than a millennia. Shintoism is a polytheistic tradition that believes that all of the natural world (and human world) is inhabited by the kami and Shinto concerns itself with the relationships we have with these natural energies. As part of our celebration, we will be having: -Japanese food and drink -A Shinto ceremony for the full moon -Poetry readings honouring the full moon (bring your own about the full moon or just a favourite poem) -Gift bags for all who attend -Special performances throughout the evening Come dressed in your best cosplay, or just as yourself, bring a small offering for the kami and enjoy this once a year tradition at the Sublime Elms. Dewa mata ne! (see you soon!) PARKING is directly across the street from the…