What was the Mid-Autumn Festival in ancient times?

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".

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 is a ritual activity of the ancients in some places in ancient China to "Moon God".

According to research, "Mid-Autumn Festival" was originally set on the day of autumnal equinox in the twenty-four 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 among the 24 solar terms in the dry calendar to the 15th day of August in the summer calendar (lunar calendar). Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, most of which have ancient origins.

Extended data:

1, Mid-Autumn Festival custom. Sacrifice to the moon (Yue Bai). Sacrificing the moon is a very old custom in China, and it is actually a worship activity of the ancients to the "Moon God". In ancient times, there was a custom of "autumn and dusk". The evening moon is the God of Yue Bai.

2. Turn on the light. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, there is the custom of burning lanterns to help the moon. 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.

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 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.