The Origin and Significance of Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the autumn moon in ancient times.

In traditional culture, the moon and the sun are the same, and these two alternate celestial bodies become the objects of ancestor worship. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the ancient people's sacrifice to the moon, which is the legacy and derivative of China people's custom of offering sacrifices to the moon. Sacrificing to the moon is a very old custom in China. In fact, it was a sacrificial activity of ancestors in some places in ancient China.

At first, the festival of "Sacrificing the Moon" was held on the "autumnal equinox" of the 24 solar terms in the Ganzhi calendar, and later it was moved to August 15 in the summer calendar (lunar calendar). In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival is set on August 16 in the summer calendar. The Mid-Autumn Festival began in the early years of the Tang Dynasty and prevailed in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become one of the traditional festivals in China, which was as famous as the Spring Festival. Influenced by China culture, Mid-Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival for overseas Chinese in some countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially local Chinese.

Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival:

1, walking on the moon

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a special activity called "Walking the Moon". In the bright moonlight, people wear gorgeous clothes, travel in groups of three or five, or stroll the streets, or lack boats on the Qinhuai River, or go upstairs to watch the moonlight, talking and laughing. In Ming Dynasty, there were Moon Tower and Moon Bridge in Nanjing, and Moon Tower under Lion Mountain in Qing Dynasty, all of which were scenic spots for tourists to enjoy the moon. Traveling on Mid-Autumn Festival night to enjoy the moon, Shanghainese call it "walking on the moon".

2. Sacrifice the moon

Offering sacrifices to the moon is a very old custom in China, which is actually the worship of the "Moon God" by the ancients. In ancient times, there was a custom of "autumn and dusk". The evening moon is the God of Yue Bai. Since ancient times, in some places in Guangdong, people have the custom of worshipping the moon god (mother moon and moonlight) on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival.

In Yue Bai, a big incense table was set up, and the sacrifices included moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums and grapes. Under the moon, put the "Luna God" tablet in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family took turns in Yue Bai to pray.

Step 3 enjoy the moon

The custom of enjoying the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have become relaxed pleasures. It is said that this night the moon is closest to the earth, and the moon is the largest, roundest and brightest, so there has been a custom of drinking and enjoying the moon since ancient times; The daughter-in-law who goes back to her parents' house will go back and forth to express her happiness and good luck. According to written records, the folk Mid-Autumn Festival started in Wei and Jin Dynasties, but it did not become a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many poets wrote poems about the moon in their masterpieces.