White in the moon the long road lies

November full moon in Berkshire, UK - 2nd November 2009

The following poem is from'A Shropshire Lad' by A. E. Housman 1859-1936

XXXVI

White in the moon the long road lies,

The moon stands blank above;

White in the moon the long road lies

That leads me from my love.

Still hangs the hedge without a gust,

Still, still the shadows stay:

My feet upon the moonlit dust

Pursue the ceaseless way.

The world is round, so travellers tell,

And straight though reach the track,

Trudge on, trudge on, 'twill all be well,

The way will guide one back.

But ere the circle homeward hies

Far, far must it remove:

White in the moon the long road lies

That leads me from my love.

The November full moon, like that of October, is called the Hunter's Moon. It is also known as the Frosty Moon, the Beaver Moon or the Freezing Moon. Certainly in November we can expect to experience frost and sharp cold weather.

I found the following information on 'Keith's Moon Page'. (I cannot add any hyperlinks - don't know why!!)

Celebrating The Chinese Moon Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival dates back about 3000 years. It emerged from the moon worship of the Shang Dynasty and is reputed to celebrate Chang Er who flew to the moon and has lived there ever since. The Moon Festival honours the legend of Chang Er and is about harvest and family reunions; it is usually celebrated in late September or early October.

As with all festivals food and wine play an important part and moon cakes are made and consumed by the light of the moon. They are circular and made of flour and brown sugar and filled with a variety of sweet ingredients, from white sugar paste and brown date paste much favoured in the North of China to ham, walnuts and apricots among other things in Southern China.

Moon Biscuits are another traditional treat. They are shaped like a crescent moon and have whole hazel nuts to represent the full moon that is to come.

Recipe for Moon Biscuits

250g/9oz wholemeal flour

75g/3oz soft light brown sugar

175g/6oz butter or margarine Large handful of hazel nuts

Method:

Preheat oven to 300F/150C/gas mark 2

Beat butter/margarine with sugar until blended
Add flour and mix
Knead dough on a floured surface
Add hazel nuts and flatten dough to thickness of about 1⅜cm/½"
Cut crescent moon shapes
Bake biscuits on a baking sheet until light golden brown.

Americans enjoy MoonPie originating with the Chattanooga Bakery which, it is believed, produced them for coal miners in Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia.