Why do you eat snails in the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the important traditional festivals in China, and it is also a day for family reunion, moon appreciation and delicious food. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are many different customs and traditions in different places, one of which is eating snails. Next, I will give you a detailed introduction to the reasons for eating snails in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and list some related custom cases.

The custom of eating snails in Mid-Autumn Festival originated from ancient folklore. According to legend, on an ancient Mid-Autumn Festival night, a man named WU GANG was exiled to the moon by the Queen Mother because he made a mistake. WU GANG lived a lonely life on the moon, eating only the bark and leaves of vegetation every day. Later, a kind fairy saw WU GANG's predicament and decided to help him. The fairy turned into a snail and brought rich food from the earth for WU GANG to enjoy. WU GANG is very grateful, so every Mid-Autumn Festival, people will eat snails to commemorate the kindness of the fairy.

In southern China, especially in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, the custom of eating snails in the Mid-Autumn Festival is very popular. Around the Mid-Autumn Festival, people will get together to taste snails. They will choose fresh snails, clean them and cook them with various seasonings. Common cooking methods include steaming, stewing and frying. Snail meat is delicious, the entrance is tender and smooth, and the taste is delicious, which is deeply loved by people.

Besides eating snails, there are other customs related to snails in Mid-Autumn Festival. For example, in some places, a snail competition will be held in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people can take part in the competition to see who eats the fastest. There are also snail culture festivals in some places to show the species and cooking skills of snails, attracting many tourists to watch.

In addition, eating snails in the Mid-Autumn Festival also has some related extended customs. For example, in some places, various patterns or words will be carved on snails to increase interest. In some places, they will enjoy the moon, solve riddles on the lanterns and lanterns while eating snails, which will add to the festive atmosphere.

In a word, eating snails in Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient traditional custom, which originated from ancient folklore. People remember to help the fairies in WU GANG by eating snails, and enjoy the delicious food brought by snails. This custom is particularly popular in southern China, and it has also spawned a series of activities and extended customs related to snails.

References:

1. China traditional festival culture

2. Grand view of traditional festivals in China