Modern History of the Rabbit in the Moon

In modern history, before the Apollo 11 mission was to make the first landing on the moon, this conversation took place:

Houston:  Among the large headlines concerning Apollo this morning there’s one asking that you watch for a lovely girl with a big rabbit.  An ancient legend says a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang’e had been living there for 4000 years.  It seems she was banished to the moon because she stole the pill for immortality from her husband.  You might also look for her companion, a large Chinese rabbit, who is easy to spot since he is only standing on his hind feet in the shade of a cinnamon tree.  The name of the rabbit is not recorded.

The Crew:  Okay, we’ll keep a close eye for the bunny girl.

The rabbit has been associated with the moon in almost all cultures because the gestation period of the rabbit is 30 days (see Rabbit History).

For those who live down under in the southern hemisphere, the full moon is seen turned 180 degrees so the rabbit in the moon is on its back.

In the many religious writings there is the teaching of losing your life for others.  How appropriate our meek, lovable rabbit friend is chosen to represent that truth by being seen in the shadows of the full moon. 

The best time to see the rabbit in the moon is the day after the full moon.  Happy viewing!