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Mochi ceremony closes out Christmas in the Marianas
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Posted on Dec 30 2019
An American sign language interpreter interprets a performance on the stage of the Christmas in the Marianas at the Paseo de Marianas last Saturday. (Photos by JUSTINE NAUTA)
As has become a tradition for many years now, the Mochitsuki Festival, which is a Japanese ceremony for making glutinous rice cakes, closed out the final night of the Christmas in the Marianas celebration at the Paseo de Marianas in Garapan last Saturday, Dec. 28.
Hundreds of tourists and residents alike came together at the Paseo de Marianas for the traditional preparation of mochi rice cake, which is a traditional food prepared before the Japanese New Year.
The festival started at 6pm with the rice pounding and dance performances by the Saipan Awaodori Team greeting all visitors that joined the event.
Mochitsuki is a Japanese ceremony for making rice cakes made of mochigom—glutinous short-grain japonica rice. Participants pound the rice into a paste that will be molded into various shapes and are given away for free.
“The mochi is what I look forward to every year. My favorite is the sweetened mochi and the mochi wrapped in seaweed and soy sauce,” said one member of the audience.
In a unique twist this year, one of the performances on the stage was accompanied by an American sign language interpreter, to enable those who are hard of hearing to participate. That feature was a welcome addition to the celebration. “I enjoyed the ASL performance the most. I got to learn a little bit of sign language so that was pretty cool,” said a member of the audience.
Other acts included the Holiday Rockin’ in American Sign Language, Hopwood Middle School Glee Club, Marianas High School Rhythm N’ Harmony, more “mochi” pounding, Wolfgang Christian School, Pacific Flowers dance group, and the Refaluwasch Warriors dance group. The performances lasted until 10pm.
“The Christmas in the Marianas is one of my favorite events to attend especially since they have free mochi,” said one audience member.
Christmas in the Marianas was celebrated every Saturday in December and was organized by the Marianas Visitors Authority, PDM Promoters, Pacific Development Inc. and other travel partners.
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- Participants get their pre-prepared mochi rice cakes at the Christmas in the Marianas festival at the Paseo de Marianas last Saturday.
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- Members of the Japanese community on Saipan join the traditional pounding of glutinous short-grain rice at the Mochitsuki Festival during the final night of the Christmas in the Marianas celebration at the Paseo de Marianas in Garapan last Saturday, Dec. 28.
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- Japanese Consul Kazuhiko Ono participate in the Mochitsuki Festival during the final night of the Christmas in the Marianas celebration at the Paseo de Marianas in Garapan last Saturday, Dec. 28.
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- Besides mochi, the Mochitsuki Festival also had traditional Japanese drinks.
