The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and stories and legends

Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Mid-Autumn Festival and Moon Festival, is one of the four traditional festivals of the Han Chinese people, together with Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Qingming Festival.

Mid-Autumn Festival became a festival after the Tang and Song dynasties, and it was developed from the moon god sacrifice in the mid-autumn festival. From the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, the festival of the Mid-Autumn Festival took on a more unusual connotation. After breaking the mountains and rivers and the bright moon in Bianjing, the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival was precious. Since then, the reunion nature and status of the Mid-Autumn Festival has been determined in the Southern Song Dynasty, and has been passed down to this day.

On the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, there are only three origins of the claim is widely circulated, but folklore circulated two versions of the story legend, the following with me to see it:

A.? The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival?

? Mid-Autumn Festival from one: originated from the Zhou Li said?

About the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, according to historical records,was written between the two Han Dynasty, "Zhou Li" (rumored to be written by Zhou Gongdan, but actually written between the two Han Dynasty), said. The term "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the book Zhou Li.

The Rituals of the Zhou (礼记-月令) says, "The month of mid-autumn nourishes senility, and a diet of surimi porridge is practiced." In the Wei and Jin dynasties, there are "Oracle Shangshu town cattle confusion, Mid-Autumn Festival Eve with the left and right micro-suits pan river" record. In the early Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. The Book of Tang - Taizong records that "the Mid-Autumn Festival is held on the 15th day of the 8th month". The popularity of the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty, and by the time of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become one of the major festivals in China, on a par with New Year's Day. Since the Book of Rites has a record of "Autumn sunset", the custom of sacrificing to the moon, enjoying the moon and worshipping the moon has been passed down for thousands of years, and the Mid-Autumn Festival happens to be held on the day of the full moon in the high and refreshing autumn weather, so when the Mid-Autumn Festival is brought up, people will always think of the moon, enjoying the moon, and the mysterious legends related to the moon.

The Rites of Zhou is a Confucian classic, one of the Thirteen Classics. Zhou Li, Yi Li and Li Ji are collectively known as the "Three Rites", which is the theoretical form of ancient Chinese ritual culture, and has the most authoritative records and explanations of etiquette and righteousness, as well as the most far-reaching influence on the etiquette system of successive generations. The Zhou Rites recorded in the pre-Qin period of social politics, economy, culture, customs, etiquette and law of the system, many historical data can be collected, the content involved in the extremely rich, all-encompassing, can be called the treasure trove of China's cultural history.

? The Mid-Autumn Festival is the first of its kind in China, and it is the first of its kind in the world. The moon festival is actually a worship activity of the ancient people to the "moon god". At the time of the Autumn Equinox, it was the ancient "Moon Festival", and the Mid-Autumn Festival was derived from the traditional "Moon Sacrifice". The Mid-Autumn Festival evolved slowly from the ancient moon festival. The ancient calendar divides each season into three months: the first, second and third months. The eighth month of the lunar calendar is exactly the second month of autumn, so it is called "Mid-Autumn", while the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is exactly the half of autumn, so it is called "Mid-Autumn". Initially, this day was designated as a festival for ancient emperors to worship the moon, which slowly evolved into the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival was popularized in the Han Dynasty, which was a period of economic and cultural exchanges and fusion between the north and south of China, and cultural exchanges between different places led to the fusion and spread of festivals and customs. The Mid-Autumn Festival became popular in the northern part of China after the Tang Dynasty. During the Northern Song Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a common folk festival, and officially set the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

? Mid-Autumn Festival origin of the third: the origin of agricultural production said

The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and agricultural production related to the fall is the season of harvest. The word "autumn" is interpreted as "the ripening of crops is said to be autumn". In August, mid-autumn, crops and various fruits ripened one after another, and farmers celebrated the harvest and expressed their joy, so they took the day of "mid-autumn" as a festival.

Agriculture was the foundation of ancient China, and it was the lifeblood of the people's livelihood in ancient times, just like today's city life: if the economy stops functioning, the whole society will be paralyzed immediately. "Mid-Autumn Festival" is the meaning of the middle of autumn, the lunar calendar, August is the middle of the month of autumn, the 15th is the middle of the month, so the Mid-Autumn Festival may be the ancients "Autumn News" inherited customs.

Now, as China's autumn harvest, autumn plowing, autumn planting season is approaching, agricultural machinery companies around the country has ushered in the peak of sales of agricultural machinery, while farmers have also begun to seize the time to buy combine harvesters, tractors and other state-subsidized farm equipment, for the upcoming autumn harvest, autumn plowing, autumn planting work to make the final preparations.

Two? The story of the Mid-Autumn Festival legend?

? The first of the Mid-Autumn Festival stories and legends: Chang'e's remote sacrifice?

Legend has it that in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky, which appeared in turn to light up the earth and bring warmth to the earth, but one day the ten suns appeared together, and the crops on the earth were scorched, and the people's life was very difficult. Later, a divine archer named Hou Yi shot down nine of the suns with his curved bow at the top of the Kunlun Mountain, eliminating the disaster for the people.

Hou Yi was loved by all the people of the world and took Hou Yi's daughter, Hou Yi, who is familiarly known as Chang E. Hou Yi had many disciples. Hou Yi took on many disciples to teach him the art of archery, and in his spare time, he would lead his disciples out to hunt, honing his archery skills and gathering food at the same time.

Later, Hou Yi traveled to the Kunlun Mountains to learn the art of Taoism, and on his way back, he ran into the Queen Mother of the West, who had come to visit his friends. The Queen Mother of the West knew that Hou Yi had always wanted to practice to become an immortal, and in order to recognize his service to the people of the world, the Queen Mother of the West gave him an immortal pill of immortality. Hou Yi also wanted to ask for another pill for his wife, but the Queen Mother of the West refused.

After returning home, Hou Yi told his wife, Chang'e, about the incident and promised not to leave her behind. To show his determination, he gave the immortality pill to Chang'e for safekeeping, but unexpectedly, these things were overheard by Hou Yi's disciple, Peng Meng, who couldn't refuse the temptation of becoming an immortal in the face of it.

Pong Meng found an excuse to stay behind when Hou Yi led his disciples out hunting. When Hou Yi left, he immediately came to Hou Yi's home. He forced Chang'e to hand over the immortality pill, and Chang'e was forced to swallow the immortality pill herself, and ascended to the moon palace to become an immortal. After seeing Chang'e ascend to immortality, Peng Meng knew that his master would not let himself go and fled.

After Hou Yi came back, he knew what had happened and couldn't sleep at night thinking about his wife. He saw the moon, which seemed to have his wife's shadow, and ordered people to bring his wife's favorite snacks to sacrifice Chang'e from afar. Afterwards, the general women worshiped the moon every Mid-Autumn Festival, which was to the Chang'e in the Moon Palace.

? Mid-Autumn Festival Story Legend No. 2: The late Sui and Tang armies said

Historians have pointed out that the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival should be the late Sui and Tang armies in the Daiye thirteen years on the 15th day of the eighth month, the Tang army Pei Silence to the full moon as an idea, the success of the invention of the moon cake, and widely distributed to the army as a military pay, successfully solved the problem of the military food derived from the absorption of a large number of anti-sui volunteers.

Born in 573 A.D., Pei Silence was very smart when he was young. When he was fourteen years old, Pei Silence took the post of the chief minister, which can be said to be young and promising. In a chance, Pei Silence met Li Yuan, who was the governor of Taiyuan at that time, and the two of them became close friends at first sight. From the time Li Yuan rose up in Taiyuan to overthrow the Sui Dynasty, Pei Silence has been following Li Yuan around, advising him. At that time, Pei Silence even risked his life to give Li Yuan grain, grass, horses, armor and other items that were originally intended to be offered to the Sui emperor. These things became important supplies for Li Yuan's uprising, and Li Yuan trusted Pei Silence more and more.

Li Yuan kept winning wars and absorbed many soldiers along the way. As soon as there were more soldiers, there was not enough food, and many soldiers began to starve. Li Yuan saw this scene, the heart is very intolerant, but suffer from no good way to solve this problem. Li Yuan was anxious about this matter, and Pei Sil, who was the chief official at that time, was also anxious with Li Yuan after seeing it. At that time coincided with the fifteenth day of the eighth month, the moon in the sky is round and big, very much like a big cake. Looking at the moon in the sky, Pei Silence's mind was blessed and came up with the food of moon cake. The food of moon cake is easy to carry and can replenish the soldiers' physical strength well, Pei Silence successfully solved the problem of not enough food.

After the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival became a reward for ministers and began to become a regular holiday. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a major traditional festival in China.


The Mid-Autumn Festival has become one of the major traditional festivals in China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the Mid-Autumn Festival has become one of the major traditional festivals in China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival varies from north to south, but one thing is basically the same, that is, the family reunion, visit friends and relatives, visit elders, etc., may we will be able to these full of affection and good wishes of the customs and origins of the heart, passed on from generation to generation.