The Origin and Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, Moonlight Birthday, Moon Festival, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Festival, Moon Festival and Reunion Festival, is a traditional folk festival in China. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the autumn moon in ancient times. At first, the festival of "Sacrificing the Moon" was held on the "Autumn Equinox" of the twenty-four solar terms in the Ganzhi calendar, and later it was moved to August 15th in the summer calendar (lunar calendar). In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival is set on August 16 in the summer calendar. Since ancient times, Mid-Autumn Festival has had folk customs such as offering sacrifices to the moon, enjoying the moon, eating moon cakes, playing with lanterns, enjoying osmanthus and drinking osmanthus wine. It has been circulating for a long time.

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, popularized in the Han Dynasty, shaped in the early Tang Dynasty and prevailed after the Song Dynasty. Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, most of which have ancient origins. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a colorful and precious cultural heritage. The full moon is a symbol of people's reunion, a sustenance for missing their hometown and relatives, and hopes for a bumper harvest and happiness.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a relic of ancient celestial worship-the custom of worshipping the moon. In the "autumnal equinox" season of the 24 solar terms, it is an ancient "Mid-Autumn Festival", and the Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional "Mid-Autumn Festival". 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 celebration originated from ancient people's sacrifice to the moon, which is the legacy and derivative of China people's custom of sacrificing 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 parts of ancient China. According to research, "Mid-Autumn Festival" was originally set on the day of "Autumn Equinox" in the 24 solar terms of the Ganzhi calendar. However, due to historical development, the lunar calendar (summer calendar) was later used, so the Mid-Autumn Festival was transferred from the "autumnal equinox" in the 24 solar terms of the official calendar to August 15 of the summer calendar (lunar calendar). Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, most of which have ancient origins.