The Origin and Significance of Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena, and evolved from the worship of the moon in autumn in ancient times.

In traditional culture, the moon, like the sun, these two alternate celestial bodies became the objects of worship of ancestors. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from ancient people's sacrifice to the moon, which is the legacy and derivative of the Chinese custom of offering sacrifices to the moon. Offering sacrifices to the moon is a very old custom in China. In fact, it is a kind of worship activity of the ancient people in some places of China in ancient times.

At first, the festival of "Moon Festival" was held on the day of "Autumn Equinox" in the twenty-four solar terms of the dry calendar, and it was later transferred to August 15th of the lunar calendar. In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival was held on August 16th of the lunar calendar. The Mid-Autumn Festival began in the early years of the Tang Dynasty and prevailed in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become one of the traditional festivals in China with the same reputation as the Spring Festival. Influenced by Chinese culture, Mid-Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival for overseas Chinese in some countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially local Chinese.

Customs of Mid-Autumn Festival:

1. Walking on the Moon

There is a special activity to enjoy the moon on Mid-Autumn Festival night called "Walking on the Moon". In the bright moonlight, people wear gorgeous clothes, travel in groups of three or five, or wander the streets, or lack boats on the Qinhuai River, or go upstairs to watch the Yuet Moon, talking and laughing. In the Ming Dynasty, there was a Moon-looking Building and a Moon-playing Bridge in Nanjing. In the Qing Dynasty, there was a Moon-looking Building under Lion Mountain, which was a scenic spot for tourists to enjoy the moon when they "walked on the moon". Traveling in mid-autumn night to enjoy the moon is called "walking on the moon" by Shanghainese.

2. Sacrificing the moon

Sacrificing the moon is a very old custom in China, which is actually a worship activity of the ancients to the "Moon God". In ancient times, there was a custom of "autumn dusk and evening moon". Evening moon, that is, worship the moon god. Since ancient times, in some parts of Guangdong, people have the custom of worshipping the moon god (moon mother and moonlight) on the Mid-Autumn Festival night.

In Yue Bai, a big incense table was set up, offering sacrifices such as moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums and grapes. Under the moon, put the "Moon God" tablet in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family worships the moon in turn and prays for blessings.

3. Appreciating the moon

The custom of appreciating the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have turned into light pleasures. It is said that the moon is closest to the earth this night, and the moon is the largest, roundest and brightest, so there is a custom of drinking and enjoying the moon since ancient times; The daughter-in-law who goes back to her mother's house will return to her husband's house in the future, in order to express her happiness and good luck. Written records show that folk Mid-Autumn Festival activities began in Wei and Jin Dynasties, but they did not become a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and many poets wrote poems about the moon in their masterpieces.