6 2014-7068Our annual Mochitsuki will be held on December 14 starting at 8:30 am and ending around 12:30 pm. During Mochitsuki our temple’s social hall transforms in to a noisy and joyful gathering centered around the tradition of pounding rice and making small cakes filled with sweetened azuki beans. The Japanese tradition of Mochitsuki was started many generations ago as a post-harvest celebration and it continues today as a social event that connects us to our past.

To make mochi,  teams of hearty volunteers take turns pounding rice with wooden mallets in an ever accelerating pace until the rice becomes smooth. Other volunteers form the finished mochi into small disks that are either left plain or filled with sweetened azuki beans. Either way, fresh mochi is a delicious treat. To learn more about this tradition visit our Mochitsuki page.

Everyone is welcome to join in this tradition but to pound the rice or make mochi, children must be 12 years or older. On Sunday, December 15, we have a special children’s mochitsuki starting at 10:30 am. Children of all ages are welcome.

Where: MBT Social Hall
When: December 14, 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
Register: There is no cost (unless you wish to purchase some mochi to take home) and no registration. If you have questions contact the temple office at office@mbtchicago.org or call 312.943.7801.

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