Words cannot describe the excitement and exhilaration that courses through your entire being as drummers move their bodies into each powerful swing. It feels like a symphony of thunder, with each crack causing you to hold you breath. And when all goes quiet, all you can mouth in amazement is "Whoa", like Keanu Reeves. Not Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure "Whoa". More like the Matrix, "Whoa", when jumping tall buildings. Not only was this a treat for the ears, but also for the belly, eyes, and spirit. This beautiful tradition of making mochi was held on Bainbridge Island amidst nature's setting. It was explained that the Shinto believe each grain of sweet rice represented an ancestor's spirit. Pounding the rice was to join the spirits and a time to self reflect on the previous year. Once a rice cake was completed it was offered to the Gods on behalf of what it represented ~ Community.
Unable to get close enough to take photos of the "striking" of the sweet rice or of the rice cakes, (Since I tend to think with my belly and not my head, I gobbled my rice cake before taking a pic crossed my mind.) These last 2 photos were found on a couple of websites. Hope it's okay to share.
1 comment:
Damn sis! What an interesting experience...and it makes me want to kick myself for missing out on a mochi-making event that I had been invited to witness. They didn't do it the old-fashioned way, but rather with some sort of machine. Stupid me and drinking too much the night before...I couldn't wake up to make the 5am appointment!
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