JSランゲージスクールブログ | Full Moon
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On September 16th, there will be a full moon. In Western countries there are many myths about the full moon. I want to share some of these myths with you today. I am not sure if Japan has the same myths about the full moon. I grew up in a very superstitious place, so my family or many other people still believe some of these myths.
In old times, many people believed in “moon madness”. This is when people go crazy around a full moon. In the past, this was a way to excuse mental illness or even crimes. If someone did something that they normally would not do, they could blame the moon and say that the moon made them act differently. This belief has been around for hundreds of years, but there was a study in the 1980s that proved there is no relation between a full moon and someone’s behavior. However, in small towns (such as my hometown) many people still believe this myth.
Another myth is that you sleep less during a full moon and have strange dreams. This myth may actually be true. Studies show that during a full moon, people tend to sleep about 20 minutes less than normal. People also have about 30 more minutes of REM sleep, the deep sleep that is related to dreaming.
One other myth about the full moon is, of course, werewolves. The story of werewolves has also been told since the time of ancient Greece. It is believed that werewolves are people who turn into big and violent wolves during the full moon. This story became so popular that it is used today for movies, TV, and novels.
One last myth about the full moon is that the full moon is thought to be unlucky if it occurs on Sunday but lucky if it occurs on Monday. Actually, the word “Monday” comes from Old English “Mōnandæg” and Middle English “Monenday,” which mean "moon day." I thought this was interesting because the kanji for Monday is also “moon day”.
Are any of these myths similar in Japan? What kind of myths do you have in Japan about the full moon?
