How is the Mid-Autumn Festival passed down?

Autumn Festival is China's second largest traditional festival after the Spring Festival, the festival for the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the day coincides with the half of the three autumns, so the name of the "Mid-Autumn Festival", also known as the "Mid-Autumn Festival"; but also because of this festival in the fall, August, so also known as the "Autumn Festival", "August Festival", "August Meeting"; and there are prayers for reunion beliefs and related festive activities. "Autumn Festival", "August Festival", "August Meeting"; and there are beliefs and related festivals and activities to pray for reunion, so it is also known as "Reunion Festival It is also known as "Reunion Festival" and "Daughter's Festival" because of the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are centered around the "moon", it is also commonly known as the "Moon Festival", "Moon Festival", "Moon Chasing Festival "In the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also known as the Moon Festival of Duanzheng. About the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are roughly three kinds: the origin of the ancient worship of the moon, the custom of singing and dancing under the moon to look for puppets, and the legacy of the ancient Autumn Festival to worship the God of the land.

August 15 is the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn or Mid-Autumn. The moon on August 15 is fuller and brighter than the full moons of other months, so it is also called "Moon Festival" and "August Festival". On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people try to get together with their families as much as possible, taking the significance of the fullness of the moon and the people, and the 15th day of the 8th month is also called the "Festival of Reunion".

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional folk festival of the Han Chinese and ethnic minorities. As early as in the Three Dynasties period in China, there is "autumn sunset" custom. The moon, that is, to worship the moon god. In the Zhou Dynasty, every Mid-Autumn Festival night was held to welcome the cold and sacrifice to the moon. In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon during Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Southern Song Dynasty, people gave moon cakes to each other, taking the meaning of reunion. In the evening, there are activities such as enjoying the moon and swimming in the lake. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival has become more prevalent; many places have formed special customs such as burning douxiang, tree mid-autumn, pointing tower lamps, releasing sky lanterns, walking on the moon, and dancing with fire dragons. Today, the custom of playing under the moon is far less popular than in the old days. But the feast is still very popular, people drink to the moon, to celebrate the good life, or to wish distant relatives healthy and happy, and family "thousands of miles *** Canyuanjuan".

Previously, Jiangsu region of the Mid-Autumn Festival night, women go out to play under the moon, or visit each other, or go to the Buddhist temple nunnery, or hold a grand cultural activities. Even play to the four cock crows. This custom is locally called "walk the moon". Shanghai's custom is similar to Jiangsu. Only on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, women out to play must walk across at least three bridges, so called "walk three bridges".

In ancient times, there were also moon rituals and moon worship activities. A large incense burner was set up, and mooncakes, watermelons, apples, jujubes, plums, grapes and other offerings were placed on the table, of which mooncakes and watermelons were absolutely indispensable. The watermelon should also be cut in the shape of a lotus flower. Under the moon, the statue of the moon god is placed in the direction of the moon, red candles are lit high, the whole family worships the moon in turn, and then the housewife in charge cuts the mooncakes for reunion. The cutter counts in advance how many people in the family ****, at home, out of town, should be counted together, can not cut more or less, the size should be the same. If there is a pregnant woman in the family, you have to cut more than one.

Moon worship does not refer to the worship of the moon at the time of sacrifice. This custom originated in the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. On that night, people all over the city, rich and poor, old and young, would put on adult clothes, burn incense and worship the moon to say their wishes and pray for the blessing of the moon god. Legend has it that an ugly girl from Qi, Wu Yan, used to worship the moon when she was young, and when she grew up, she entered the palace with outstanding character, but she was not favored. On the 15th day of the 8th month of a certain year, the Emperor saw her under the moonlight and found her beautiful and outstanding, and later made her the Empress, from which the Mid-Autumn Festival Moon Worship came to be. Chang'e in the moon, known for her beauty, so young girls worship the moon, wishing "look like Chang'e, face like the moon".

Many places have also formed a lot of special mid-autumn custom. Such as Hong Kong's fire dragon dance, Anhui's pile of pagodas, Guangzhou's tree in the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jinjiang's burnt pagoda, Suzhou Shihu to see the cascade of the moon, the Dai's moon worship, the Miao's jumping to the moon, the Dong's stealing the moon vegetable, the alpine tribe's ball dance, and so on.

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

The Mid-Autumn Festival has been a national holiday since 2008. The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, on May 20, 2006, the folklore approved by the State Council included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.