Why did Mid-Autumn Festival become popular in Tang Dynasty?

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times when people provided new rice to family ancestors (harvested after the first rice ripened) to pray for blessings and protect future generations. Such festivals can make families harmonious and United, and "be cautious and pursue the future, and the people's morality is thick", which is similar to the current moral education and naturally attracted the attention of the Tang government at that time. Because the dead ancestors were called "ghosts and gods" in ancient times, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also called "Ghost Festival".

Although the three terms "Mid-Autumn Festival", "Ghost Festival" and "Orchid Festival" are often used interchangeably, we think they all represent the same meaning, but in fact they are just different expressions of a festival. In fact, although these three festivals represent a day, their meanings are not the same.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional folk festival in China. It is also called July and a half, also known as Ghost Festival and Underground Palace Festival, because it is in July 14 or July 15 of the lunar calendar every year. In a sense, Mid-Autumn Festival belongs to Taoism. Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year's Eve, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Double Ninth Festival are all traditional ancestral festivals in China. In these days, ancestors and the dead are worshipped every year. Mid-Autumn Festival now belongs to an intangible cultural heritage of our country, and it is a memory of the dead left over from our traditional period.

Because in July and a half, this day happens to be the day when summer and autumn alternate, and this time is also the node where yin and yang alternate between heaven and earth, the sun's spirit begins to weaken, and Yin Qi begins to prevail, so in ancient traditional culture, the door of hell will be opened and ghosts will be released. So children can't go home late on this day, and people try not to go out at night. Moreover, people will sacrifice to the dead on this day, so this day is also a very important festival in China. On this day, wind chimes can't be hung on the bedside, otherwise it will be very easy to attract ghosts, and people will be easily disturbed by ghosts when they sleep. Besides, I just said try not to go out at night. Burning paper must also be carried out on specific occasions, not anywhere. Then let's talk about Halloween. You can tell by the name Halloween that it is for offering sacrifices to ghosts. The word ghost has existed since ancient times, and ghost is an extension of our life. Although there will be differences between eastern and western cultures, it is recognized that ghosts are a form that people become after death. In China, not only July and a half is Ghost Festival, but March 3rd is Tomb-Sweeping Day, including Mid-Autumn Festival and October 1st. In the west, the most famous Halloween is Halloween.