Is the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15 a lunar calendar or a solar calendar?

August 15th of the lunar calendar is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. This is the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. In the China lunar calendar, a year is divided into four seasons, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and He, so the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon on August 15 is rounder and brighter than the full moon in other months, so it is also called "moonlit night" and "August Festival". On this night, people look up at the bright moon in the sky as jade, and naturally look forward to family reunion. Wanderers who are far away from home also take this opportunity to pin their thoughts on their hometown and relatives. Therefore, Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Reunion Festival". In ancient times, the people of our country had the custom of "autumn dusk and evening moon". The moon at night is to worship the moon god. In the Zhou Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was held every year to welcome the cold and offer sacrifices to the moon. Set up a big incense table and offer sacrifices such as moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums and grapes, among which moon cakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable. Watermelon must be cut into lotus shapes. Under the moon, put the moon statue in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family takes turns in Yue Bai, and then the housewife cuts the reunion moon cakes. Those who chop should calculate in advance how many people there are in the whole family, including those from home and those from other places. They should not be cut more or less, they should be the same size.

According to legend, the ugly women in ancient Qi had no salt. When she was young, she was very devout to Yue Bai. When she grew up, she entered the palace with superior moral character, but she was not favored. Seeing the moon on August 15, the son of heaven saw her in the moonlight and thought she was beautiful and outstanding. Later, he made her queen, and Yue Bai came from the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the middle of the moon, Chang 'e is famous for her beauty, so Yue Bai, a young girl, hopes to be "like Chang 'e, and her face is like the bright moon".

In the Tang dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy the moon and play with it on the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Northern Song Dynasty. On the evening of August 15, people in the city, rich and poor, old and young, put on adult costumes and burned incense to express their wishes to Yue Bai and pray for the blessing of the moon god. In the Southern Song Dynasty, people gave mooncakes to each other, which meant reunion. There are some activities in some places, such as dancing grass dragons and building pagodas. Since Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival has become more popular. 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.

Nowadays, the custom of playing under the moon is far from prevailing in the past. However, feasting and enjoying the moon are still very popular. People drink and pray for the moon to celebrate a better life, or wish their distant relatives health and happiness and "live a better life together" with their families.

There are many customs and forms of Mid-Autumn Festival, but all of them are entrusted with people's infinite love for life and yearning for a better life.