
The  full  Moon of October is called The Hunter's Moon.  The ancient
Greeks identified the Moon with Diana, goddess  of  the  hunt.   The
Sioux called October's Moon The  Dying  Grass Moon.  In China, it is
the  tradition  to  eat 'mooncakes' about the time of this full Moon
(or September's, depending on their lunar  calendar),  to  mark  the
fall of  the  Mongol  Yuan  dynasty  in  1368.   Rebel messages were
concealed  in  these  cakes, which were filled with nuts and candied
sweets.  They say it is this Moon which ties  lovers  together  with
invisible threads.  Have a mooncake together.


BY:

Gail S. Cleere 202/653-1541
NAVOBSY WASH

This  news  release  may  be  reproduced, with credit please, to the
U.S. Naval Observatory.
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