The Origin and Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, August Festival, Moon Chasing Festival, Moon Appreciating Festival, Daughter's Day or Reunion Festival, is a popular traditional cultural festival in many ethnic groups and countries in the Chinese character cultural circle in China, and falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Because its value is only half that of Sanqiu, it is named, and some places set the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 16.

The origin of Mid-Autumn Festival:

There are many theories about the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival. The word Mid-Autumn Festival first appeared in Zhou Li. The Book of Rites and the Moon Order said: "The Mid-Autumn Festival moon nourishes aging and follows the porridge diet."

1. Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the sacrificial activities of ancient emperors. The earliest origin originated from the sacrificial activities of ancient emperors. The Book of Rites records that "the sun rises in spring and the moon sets in autumn", and the moon is a sacrifice to the moon, indicating that as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, emperors began to offer sacrifices to Yue Bai. The habits of emperors, nobles and civilians should naturally follow suit, so the activities of offering sacrifices to the moon gradually spread to the people.

Second, the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival is related to agricultural production. Autumn is the harvest season. The word "autumn" is interpreted as "autumn when crops are ripe" In the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, crops and various fruits are maturing one after another. In order to celebrate the harvest and express their joy, farmers regard the Mid-Autumn Festival as a festival. "Mid-Autumn Festival" means the middle of autumn. August in the lunar calendar is a month in autumn, and the 15th is a day in this month. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival may be a custom passed down from the ancient Autumn Newspaper. On the one hand, I express my gratitude to luna, on the other hand, I hope luna will give more protection and happiness in the future to thank nature, heaven and earth, and luna. At the same time, it also expressed respect for labor.

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Historians have pointed out that the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival should be August 15th, 13th year of Tang Jun's career at the end of Sui Dynasty. At that time, there was chaos in the world at the end of Sui Dynasty, and Li Yuan stayed in Jinyang. His son Li Shimin always wanted to encourage his father to rebel and seize the world, and Peiji made great efforts here. He asked Jin Yanggong to serve the ladies-in-waiting of Emperor Yang Di Yang Guang and Tang Gaozu, and published to Tang Gaozu the benefits of joining the army when the wine was drunk and the ears were hot, which contributed to this matter. After entering Chang 'an, Li Yuan became the prime minister, Pei Ji was the chief minister of the prime minister's office, and he was appointed Duke of Wei. At the end of Sui Dynasty, due to the large number of volunteers, the commissary could not support it. Tang Jun Peiji successfully invented moon cakes with the idea of full moon, and distributed them to the army as military salaries, thus solving the problem of military rations. This year is August 15th, 13th year of Daye. Some historians have pointed out that this is the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival.

Mid-Autumn Festival custom:

1, eat Osmanthus Jelly?

There are many reasons to eat Osmanthus Jelly in Mid-Autumn Festival. The first and most important reason is that the Mid-Autumn Festival is mostly in October of the lunar calendar, which is the season of sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance. At this time, osmanthus fragrance is rich, which is very suitable for brewing sweet and soft Osmanthus Jelly. Some people will also brew some osmanthus wine with unique osmanthus fragrance.

Secondly, when osmanthus is in full bloom, it is also the time of autumn harvest. At this time, people like to pick some sweet-scented osmanthus to make cakes and taste Osmanthus Jelly to express their gratitude for the autumn harvest and share the joy and beauty of the harvest. Moreover, the petals of osmanthus fragrans are very small and elegant, which symbolizes harvest and beauty, so eating Osmanthus Jelly in Mid-Autumn Festival also symbolizes the pursuit of a better life.

Generally speaking, there are two reasons for eating Osmanthus Jelly in Mid-Autumn Festival. First, at this time, osmanthus fragrance is flourishing, which makes Osmanthus Jelly taste good; Secondly, osmanthus symbolizes harvest and beauty, so people will eat Osmanthus Jelly at this time to express their pursuit.

2. enjoy the moon?

Mid-Autumn Festival, China has the custom of enjoying the moon since ancient times. There is a record of "autumn twilight and the moon" in the Book of Rites, that is, worshipping the moon god. In the Zhou Dynasty, every Mid-Autumn Festival night, activities to welcome the cold and offer sacrifices to the moon were held. Put a big incense table with seasonal fruits such as moon cakes, watermelons, apples, plums and grapes, among which moon cakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable. Watermelon must be cut into lotus shapes.

In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Song Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was more popular to enjoy the moon. According to "Dream of Tokyo", "On the Mid-Autumn Festival night, your family is dressing up and the people are fighting for the restaurant to play the moon". On this day, all shops and restaurants in Beijing have to redecorate their facades, tie silk on archways and sell fresh fruits and refined food. The night market is very lively. Many people visit The Upper Terrace, and some wealthy families enjoy the moon in their pavilions and arrange food or family dinners to reunite their children. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival remains the same. Many places have formed special customs such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting tower lanterns, putting sky lanterns, walking on the moon and dancing dragons.

? 3. Eat moon cakes?

People in urban and rural areas of China have the custom of eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival. As the saying goes, "August 15th is full, and Mid-Autumn moon cakes are sweet and fragrant". Moon cakes were originally used to worship the moon god. The word "moon cake" first appeared in Wu's Liang Lumeng in the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, it was just a cake-shaped food like Ling Hua cake. Later, people gradually combined the Mid-Autumn Festival with tasting moon cakes, which symbolized family reunion.

Mooncakes were originally made at home, and the practice of mooncakes was recorded in Yuan Mei's Menu with the Garden in the Qing Dynasty. In modern times, there are workshops specializing in making moon cakes, and the production of moon cakes is becoming more and more elaborate, with exquisite fillings and beautiful appearance. There are also various exquisite designs printed on the outside of the moon cakes, such as "the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon", "jathyapple of the Galaxy" and "San Tan Yin Yue". It has become the wish of people all over the world to show people's reunion with a full moon, to show people's eternal life with a round moon cake, to pin their thoughts on their relatives in their hometown and to pray for a bumper harvest and happiness. Moon cakes are also used as gifts to send to relatives and friends and to connect feelings.

Other local customs of Mid-Autumn Festival:

China has a vast territory, a large population and different customs. The Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in a variety of ways, with strong local characteristics.

In Wuxi County, Jiangsu Province, incense is burned on Mid-Autumn Festival night. There are silks around the incense barrel, which depicts the scenery in the Moon Palace. There are incense sticks made of thread Kaori with paper kuixing and colorful flags on them. Shanghainese Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet with Sweet-scented osmanthus honey wine.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival in Ji 'an County, Jiangxi Province, every village burns crocks with straw. When the crock is red, put the vinegar in it. At this time, the whole village will smell a fragrance. During the Mid-Autumn Festival in Xincheng County, grass lanterns are hung from the evening of August 1 1 to August 17.

In Sichuan province, in addition to eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival, people also eat cakes, ducks, sesame cakes and honey cakes. In some places, orange lanterns are also lit and hung at the door to celebrate. There are also children who burn incense on grapefruit and dance along the street, which is called "dancing meteor ball" Jiading County's Mid-Autumn Festival is called "Guanyin Club" for offering sacrifices to land gods and performing zaju, vocal music and cultural relics.

Wanquan County, Hebei Province called the Mid-Autumn Festival "Little New Year's Day", and there were pictures of Xing Jun and Guan Di reading the Spring and Autumn Festival at night on moonlight paper. Hejian county people think that the rain in Mid-Autumn Festival is bitter rain. If it rains in the Mid-Autumn Festival, the local people think that vegetables must be terrible.

On the Mid-Autumn Festival night in Xixiang County, Shaanxi Province, men row boats and climb cliffs, while women set up banquets. No matter rich or poor, people should eat watermelons. On Mid-Autumn Festival, drummers blow drums along the door to ask for money. In Luochuan county, parents lead students to bring gifts to their husbands, and there are more lunches than school dinners.

Some places have also formed many special Mid-Autumn Festival customs. In addition to enjoying the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon and eating moon cakes, there are dragon dances in Hong Kong, piling towers in Anhui, Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangzhou, burning towers in Jinjiang, moon-watching in Shihu, Suzhou, moon-dancing in Dai and Miao, moon-stealing dishes by Dong and dancing in Gaoshan.