What is the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival?

Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in China, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year. The legend is to commemorate Chang 'e.

The word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in Zhou Li. According to the ancient calendar of China, there are four seasons in a year, and each season has three months, which are called Meng Yue, Zhongyue and Yue Ji respectively. Because the second month of autumn is called Mid-Autumn Festival, and because the 15th day of August in the lunar calendar is in the middle of August, it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". It was not until the early years of the Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival.

The Book of the New Tang Dynasty (Volume XV) and Records of Rites and Music contain "Spring and Autumn Period in Wang Wenxuan and Wang Wucheng", and "In the 19th year of Kaiyuan, Taigong Fu Shang Temple was set up, with Sean in Liu Hou as its partner. In the Mid-Spring and Mid-Autumn Festival, there are sacrifices, and the system of sacrificial music is like a text. " According to historical records, the festival that the ancient emperors sacrificed to the moon was the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which happened to be half that of Sanqiu, hence the name "Mid-Autumn Festival". Because this festival is in August in autumn, it is also called Autumn Festival, August Festival, August Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. There are also beliefs and related custom activities that pray for reunion, so they are also called "Reunion Festival" and "Daughter's Day". Because the main activities of Mid-Autumn Festival are around the moon, it is also commonly known as Moon Festival, Moon Festival, Moon Festival, Moon Festival and Moon Festival. In the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also called "correcting the moon".

The prevalence of Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty, and it became one of the major festivals in China in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. About the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival, there are roughly three kinds: from the worship of the moon in ancient times, from the custom of singing and dancing under the moon to find a spouse in ancient times, and from the custom of paying homage to the land god in ancient autumn.

August 15th of the lunar calendar is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. This is the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. In China's lunar calendar, a year is divided into four seasons, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and Ji, so the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon on August 15 is rounder and brighter than the full moon in other months, so it is also called "moonlit night" and "August Festival". On this night, people look up at the bright moon like jade in the sky and naturally look forward to family reunion. Wanderers who are far away from home also take this opportunity to pin their thoughts on their relatives in their hometown. Therefore, Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Reunion Festival". Mid-Autumn Festival

In ancient China, there was a custom of "autumn and dusk". The moon at night is to worship the moon god. In the Zhou Dynasty, every Mid-Autumn Festival night, activities to welcome the cold and offer sacrifices to the moon were held. Put a big incense table, with offerings such as moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums and grapes, among which moon cakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable. Watermelon must be cut into lotus shapes. Under the moon, put the moon statue in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family takes turns in Yue Bai, and then the housewife cuts the reunion moon cakes. If people are laid off in advance, the number of people in the whole family will be counted, including those at home and those from other places. You can't lay off more or less, but the size should be the same.

According to legend, the ugly women in ancient Qi had no salt. When she was young, she was very devout to Yue Bai. When she grew up, she entered the palace with superior moral character, but she was not loved. Seeing the moon on August 15th, the son of heaven saw her in the moonlight and thought she was beautiful and outstanding. Later, he made her queen, and Yue Bai came from the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the middle of the moon, Chang 'e is famous for its beauty, so Yue Bai, a young girl, wants to be "like Chang 'e and have a bright moon".

In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Northern Song Dynasty. On the evening of August 15, people in the whole city, rich and poor, old and young, put on adult clothes and burned incense to express their wishes to Yue Bai and pray for the blessing of the moon god. In the Southern Song Dynasty, people gave mooncakes to each other, which meant reunion. There are activities in some places, such as dancing grass dragons and building pagodas. Spend Mid-Autumn Festival with the full moon! Sand painting tells the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival! Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival has become more popular. Many places have formed special customs such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn trees, lighting tower lanterns, putting sky lanterns, walking on the moon and dancing dragons.

Nowadays, the custom of playing under the moon is far less popular than in the old days. However, feasting and enjoying the moon are still very popular. People regard it as "raising a glass to the moon, and I want it from the moon" to celebrate a better life, or wish their distant relatives health and happiness, and be "thousands of miles away" from their families.

There are many customs and forms of Mid-Autumn Festival, but all of them are entrusted with people's infinite love for life and yearning for a better life.