The Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival —— What are the traditional customs in July and 30th, 2022?

July 30th is also the Mid-Autumn Festival that we often say. This festival has been handed down all the time, so there must be many customs in this festival. Do you know what traditional customs there are on July 30th, 2022, the origin and customs of Mid-Autumn Festival, and what kind of customs it is to burn paper on July 30th? Let's learn about it with Bian Xiao ~

What are the traditional customs in July and a half in 2022?

1, ancestor worship

According to legend, July 15 is the day when ancestors went home. Therefore, every household, rich or poor, should prepare coins, preserved fruits, wine and seasonal things to sacrifice to their ancestors. July 14 is called Jiangnan Festival, and 15 is called Jiangxi Festival.

According to the custom of our country, the Central Plains is the most important place to pay homage to the dead in a year. New bereavement at home, deep grief, its closest relatives and friends. Sacrifices should be prepared on July 15 of the first year of the deceased's death and sent to the deceased's home as a memorial service.

Summary: Due to the slightly different local customs, the Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated in different ways. The time of the festival will also be different. In southern China, ancestor worship began as early as July of the lunar calendar, but people don't worship ancestors on July 15th.

2. Flowing river lights

Although the word Halloween is scary, for most people, Halloween is just a day to reunite with their ancestors, so it is also worth celebrating. Therefore, in the past, lanterns were decorated, and even some river lanterns were put in the river. After all, people used to think that people were Yang, ghosts were Yin, the earth was Yang and water was Yin. The mysterious darkness underwater reminds people of the legendary hell and the place where ghosts sink. So Shangyuan lanterns are on land, and Zhongyuan lanterns are in water. Nowadays, the custom of putting river lanterns has become an ordinary recreational activity.

Step 3 sacrifice land

In some areas, the Mid-Autumn Festival will also choose to worship the land, such as scattering sacrifices in the ground, or pouring a few glasses of wine and then burning them with sacrificial paper. It is also necessary to wrap the crops with five-color paper cut into pieces to pray for good luck, a bumper harvest and a happy and stable family. In some areas, people even go to temples to worship the land collectively, which is quite spectacular.

Step 4 send sheep

The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is also called "Sheep Festival". Xu Shen said in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "Sheep are auspicious." In Oracle Bone Inscriptions's Oracle Bone Inscriptions, it's also called "sheep lead good luck". It can be seen that in ancient times, sheep always represented auspiciousness. In the rural areas of old Beijing and North China, it is popular for old men to send live sheep to their little nephews on July 15th. Legend has it that this custom is related to the legend that agarwood splits the mountain to save mother.

5, put the flame mouth

In Buddhism, a hungry ghost is described as a hunger for food, and spitting flames is called a flame mouth. So the monk gave food to the hungry ghost, called the mouth of the flame. On the same day, people first set up a main seat and a stone drum platform in front of Jiekou Village, and worshipped the Diwang Bodhisattva in front of the main seat. According to legend, Bodhisattva is a ghost beyond hell. There are peaches and rice made of flour below, and there are three spiritual cards and evocation cards on the stone drum stage. After noon, people put whole pigs, whole sheep, chickens, ducks, geese and all kinds of cakes and fruits on the stone drum stage. The host inserted blue, red and green triangular paper flags on each sacrifice, and wrote the words "Meng Lanjie" and "Manna Gate Open". The ceremony began with solemn temple music. The monks silently recited all kinds of thirsty words, then gave food and scattered peaches and rice in all directions, repeating it three times. Folk call this ceremony "the opening of the flame".

6, burning paper

The custom of burning paper is popular in Sichuan province. They will stack all kinds of paper money together on the Mid-Autumn Festival, then seal it into smaller ones, and then write the recipient's name or nickname on it, because it has been circulated locally. The Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month is the day when the gate of hell opens, and all families have to "send their children to Shigu". For example, people in Chengdu use paper to tie "flower trays", put paper money and fruit offerings on them, hold them in their hands, read various sacrificial sentences when walking indoors, and then carry them outside to burn them.

The origin of the Mid-Autumn festival

1, "Purdue" custom. In Shigu Poyang, there is a custom activity called "Purdue" on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month every year. The date of Shigu is not limited to this day, but it can be around July 15 or even in July. Purdue, that is, Purdue sentient beings, is also called "Stone Drum". Stone drums, that is, giving food to lonely and hungry ghosts, also means giving food to lonely people. Stone drums, also known as offering sacrifices to orphans, refer to ghosts and hungry ghosts who offer sacrifices to the underworld. On the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, stone drums were widely held in urban and rural areas of Poyang in the old society. 、

2. The custom of receiving ancestors at the beginning of July and seeing them off at half past July. When I sent it to my ancestors, I burned a lot of paper money for "ancestors to enjoy". At the same time, put the money paper in a paper envelope with the owner's name written on it and burn it at the time of sacrifice. This is the so-called "burning bag". Burn new bags that died within the year, and burn old bags that died more than one year. No matter rich or poor, we should prepare food, wine and paper money to pay homage to the deceased to show our memory of the deceased ancestors.

3. Ghost Festival River Lantern

Although the word Halloween is scary, for most people, Halloween is just a day to reunite with their ancestors, so it is also worth celebrating. Therefore, in the past, lanterns were decorated, and even some river lanterns were put in the river. After all, people used to think that people were Yang, ghosts were Yin, the earth was Yang and water was Yin. The mysterious darkness underwater reminds people of the legendary hell and the place where ghosts sink. So Shangyuan lanterns are on land, and Zhongyuan lanterns are in water. Nowadays, the custom of putting river lanterns has become an ordinary recreational activity.

4. The scholars in Yonghe County offered sacrifices to Kuixing on this day. The shepherd family in Zhangzi County slaughtered sheep in the Mid-Autumn Festival, competing with the gods. It is said that this can increase the output of sheep. Meat is also given to relatives, while those who are poor and have no sheep use steamed noodles in the shape of sheep instead. Farmers in Yangcheng county make cats, tigers and grains from wheat crumbs and offer sacrifices in the fields, which is called "going to the fields". In Mayi County, the Mid-Autumn Festival takes wheat flour as a child's shape, which is called "dough figurine" and is given to children by relatives. Farmers in Xinxian County hang colored paper on the stalks of fields on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

5. When the Central Plains worships the local officials in Shangqiu County, a paper flag is hung at the door, which is said to prevent insects. Flying kites during Mid-Autumn Festival in Mengjin County. _ County drew a gray circle in front of the door on July 15, and burned paper gongs in the circle to worship the ancestors.

6. Fishermen in Long Island, Shandong Province made boats out of wooden boards, put "XX" notes on them, or memorial tablets for drowning people, put food, clothes, shoes and socks on them, and then light candles. The married man put the boat into the sea. In Zhanhua County, every household collects Kyle and fresh grass leaves to build a shed, which is called "Horse House" and asks ancestors to put it in for sacrifice. Ling Du county calls the Mid-Autumn Festival "pinch festival", and every family eats humble meals.