"Spring Festival to the Sun and the Moon", what kind of ceremony is it?

"Sacrificing the sun in spring and the moon in autumn", the ceremony of sacrificing the moon: Sacrificing the moon originated from the worship of ancestors in ancient legends, and later personified the moon as a star and became the moon god. The royal family of past dynasties called luna the king of the pearl of the night, and after the Taoist priest prevailed, he called luna the king of the lunar star. According to folk custom, luna is a lady and a fairy, and she is called Yuegu or Yuejie. In ancient times, the ritual of offering sacrifices to the moon as a seasonal ceremony was listed as a royal ceremony and a regular sacrifice, so there was no news of offering sacrifices to the moon in folk customs. Only the Li family can communicate with the Lord of heaven and earth, such as the sun and the moon, that is, Yin and Yang, and offering sacrifices to the moon has become the patent right of the royal family.

The ritual and music system of ancient emperors includes autumn and spring festivals: Spring Festival for the sun and Mid-Autumn Festival for the moon. According to historical records, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, ancient emperors had the custom of offering sacrifices to the sun in beginning of spring, to the earth in summer heat, to the moon in beginning of autumn and to the sun in winter. Its places of worship are called Ritan, Ditan, Yuetan and Beijing Temple of Heaven. It consists of four directions: east, west, north and south.

With the development of the times, it gradually influenced the folk customs. Imitating the social system of ancient emperors offering sacrifices to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn, there is also an unhealthy trend of offering sacrifices to the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival among the people. Later, appreciating the moon was better than offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious worship turned into relaxed and happy joy. The custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. Many famous literati's works include poems about the moon, and the court and folk Yue Bai moon-watching activities in Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties are even more grand.

At first, the Mid-Autumn Festival was set in beginning of autumn, but in the end, because the date in beginning of autumn was irregular, although the Mid-Autumn Festival was not necessarily full, there was no visually tired moon, so it was changed from a day in beginning of autumn to the Mid-Autumn Festival. But now the Mid-Autumn Festival is the Mid-Autumn Festival. In ancient times, there was a saying that "the sun is sacrificed in spring and the moon is sacrificed in autumn", and the Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional "Moon Festival". Today's Mid-Autumn Festival is the same as the previous Mid-Autumn Festival. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone will prepare a symbol of the Moon Palace with a white rabbit standing like a human. There are also fruit moon cakes in the yard. When the moon cake Ran Ran rises, the family will burn incense in the direction of the moon. It is not only a festival with a bright moon, but also a day for family reunion. Even if the daughter-in-law turns to her mother's house before, she will still go to her mother's house for reunion during the Mid-Autumn Festival.