Kosmos

Why mourn the end of summer when you can look forward to fall – and these three festivals in China, Mexico and Korea.

Korea first

In the U.S., Thanksgiving isn’t celebrated until November, but in South Korea, the Chuseok harvest festival, which includes 5000-year-old competitions and dancing, takes place ­September 23 to 25.

Light play

Astronomically speaking, fall begins September 23, when day and night are the same length. In Mexico, people flock to Chichen Itza to see the giant shadow play created by Kukulcán pyramid.

Family giving

Ahead of the game: In China, September 24 marks not fall’s arrival, but the Mid-Autumn Festival with lots of lanterns and the traditional mooncakes that people present to their loved ones as a gift.

The world in a bowl of soup: Some soups are revered as miracle cures, others are shrouded in mystery and legend.

Heavenly grub

Borscht is the classic beet soup of Slavic Christmas parties and funerals. At the latter, the soul of the deceased is said to ascend to heaven with the steam. Speaking of heaven: While in orbit, cosmonauts can even eat borscht from a tube.

Fiery potage

Ancient dish? Not exactly. City dwellers across the world happily tuck into their pho, but the Vietnamese rice-noodle soup was only invented around 100 years ago. Rumor has it that the name comes from pot-au-feu, the classic French beef stew.

Wonder worker

Chicken soup is universally held to be good for a cold, but scientists claim that Japan’s miso is the real wonder soup. It eases stomach and menopausal complaints, and possibly even helps prevent cancer. Here’s a New Year’s recipe: miso with sweet mochi rice cakes.

In Caracas at Christmas, city streets are blocked off so that people can safely inline skate to mass. How the tradition began is something of a mystery, but it has to be the most athletic way of getting to church.

Images like this can make you dizzy! Op art is good at deceiving the eye. It’s the subject of the Vertigo exhibition opening at Stuttgart Art Museum on April 19, 2020. Can you see the two zebras?

kunstmuseum-stuttgart.de