What kind of festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, Moonlight Festival, Moon Eve, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Worship Festival, Moon Mother Festival, Moon Festival, Reunion Festival, etc., is a traditional Chinese folk festival.

The Mid-Autumn Festival originates from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the moon on Autumn Eve in ancient times.

Initially, the "Moon Festival Festival" was held on the Autumn Equinox day of the 24th solar term of the Ganzhi Calendar. Later, it was moved to the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival is set on the 16th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar [

1] .

Since ancient times, Mid-Autumn Festival has included worshiping the moon, appreciating the moon, eating moon cakes, playing with lanterns, appreciating osmanthus flowers, drinking osmanthus wine and other folk customs, which have been passed down to this day and lasted for a long time.

[2-5] The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, became popular in the Han Dynasty, was finalized in the early Tang Dynasty, and became popular after the Song Dynasty.

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, and most of the festival elements contained in it have ancient origins.

[6] The Mid-Autumn Festival uses the round moon as a sign of people's reunion, expressing the feeling of missing one's hometown and relatives, and praying for a good harvest and happiness. It has become a colorful and precious cultural heritage.

[4] Mid-Autumn Festival, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival and Dragon Boat Festival are also known as the four traditional festivals in China.

Influenced by Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival in some countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially the local Chinese and overseas Chinese.

On May 20, 2006, the State Council included it in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.

Since 2008, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been listed as a national statutory holiday.