What does Mid-Autumn Festival have to do with the moon?

The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a "Moon Festival", which originated from ancient human worship of nature. In the ritual system of ancient emperors, there were two festivals in the Spring and Autumn Period: the Spring Festival for the sun and the Mid-Autumn Festival for the moon. At first, the day of offering sacrifices to the moon was at the "autumnal equinox", and August was different every year, so there was not necessarily a moon at the autumnal equinox. Sacrificing the moon without it is a great spoil, and August 15 is gradually established as the day of sacrificing the moon.

From the scientific observation, the inclination of the earth and the sun increases in autumn, and the warm and humid air flow over China gradually fades, while the northwest wind is still very weak. In this way, when the moisture has gone and the dust has not yet risen, the air is particularly fresh, the sky is particularly clean and the moon looks round and big, which is the best time to enjoy the moon. As the ancient poem says: "Brilliant in ancient and modern times, but enjoying the mid-autumn moon, I wonder if it is moonlight, and it is all clear in the sky."

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The significance of Mid-Autumn Festival

Speaking of Mid-Autumn Festival, the first thing that comes to mind is moon cakes. Moon cakes, also known as Hu cakes, Palace cakes, Moon dumplings, Harvest cakes, Reunion cakes, etc. It is an offering to worship the moon god in ancient Mid-Autumn Festival. At first, moon cakes were used to worship the moon god. Later, people gradually regarded Mid-Autumn Festival as a symbol of family reunion. Slowly, moon cakes have become a necessary gift for festivals. In the Ming Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival also sent moon cakes to worship the moon god. When many people worship the mother of Chang 'e Moon, they will worship the old man Moon together and seek marriage from him.