What is the origin of enjoying the moon in Mid-Autumn Festival?

There are two theories about the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival. The first one originated from the sacrificial activities of ancient emperors. The second is that the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival is related to agricultural production, and autumn is the harvest season. In order to celebrate the harvest and express their joy, farmers regard the Mid-Autumn Festival as a festival. The customs of Mid-Autumn Festival include: offering sacrifices to the moon, enjoying the moon, Yue Bai, watching the tide, burning lanterns, guessing, eating moon cakes, enjoying osmanthus, drinking osmanthus wine and playing with lanterns.

1. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the autumn moon in ancient times. Offering sacrifices to the moon has a long history, and it is a kind of ritual activity of ancient people in some places in ancient China. The autumnal equinox in the twenty-four solar terms is an ancient "Moon Festival". Mid-Autumn Festival is popular in Han Dynasty, which is a period of economic and cultural exchanges and integration between the north and the south of China, and cultural exchanges between different places spread together.

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.

custom

1, offering sacrifices to the moon: offering sacrifices to the moon is a very old custom in China, and it is actually an ancient worship of the "Moon God". In ancient times, there was a custom of "autumn and dusk". The evening moon is the God of Yue Bai.

2. Appreciating the moon: The custom of appreciating the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have become relaxed enjoyment. It is said that the moon is closest to the earth that night, and it is the largest, roundest and brightest, so there has been a custom of drinking and enjoying the moon since ancient times.

3, burning lights: Mid-Autumn Festival night, there is the custom of burning lights to help the moonlight. Nowadays, there is still the custom of piling tiles and burning lamps on towers in Huguang area. Jiangnan has the custom of making lantern boats. The custom of burning lanterns in modern Mid-Autumn Festival is more prosperous.

4. Solve riddles on lanterns: On the full moon night of Mid-Autumn Festival, many lanterns are hung in public places, and people get together to guess riddles written on lanterns.

Other local customs include moonlight horse, male prostitute, Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, dragon dance, burning pagoda lights, stealing vegetables and begging for lang, stealing melons and praying for children, making cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival, burning incense to worship the moon, begging for the moon to go to the moon, walking on the moon and walking on the three bridges, and so on.