Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in China, which falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year. Legend has it that it commemorates Chang 'e.
The word "Mid-Autumn Festival" was first seen in Zhou Li. According to the ancient Chinese calendar, there are four seasons in a year and three months in each season, which are called Meng Yue, Zhong Yue and Ji Yue respectively. Because the second month of autumn is called Mid-Autumn, and because August 15th of 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 15, Book of Rites and Music, contains "Spring and Mid-Autumn Festival were released in Wenxuan Wang and Wu Cheng Wang", and "In the 19th year of Kaiyuan, the Taigong Shangfu Temple was set up, with Liu Hou Zhang Liang as its partner. In mid-spring and Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a sacrifice, and the system of sacrifice and music is like a text. " According to historical records, the festival of offering sacrifices to the moon by ancient emperors was August 15th of the lunar calendar, which coincided with half 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 Meeting and Mid-Autumn Festival. There are also beliefs and related custom activities to pray for reunion, so it is also called "Reunion Festival" and "Daughter's Day". Because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are all around the moon, it is also commonly known as the Moon Festival, the Moon Festival, the Moon Festival, the Moon Festival and the Moon Festival. In the Tang Dynasty, Mid-Autumn Festival was also called "Correcting the Moon".
The prevalence of Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty, and by the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was as famous as New Year's Day and became one of the major festivals in China. About the origin of Mid-Autumn Festival, there are roughly three kinds: it originated from the worship of the moon in ancient times, the custom of singing and dancing under the moon to find a spouse, and the custom of paying homage to the land god in autumn in ancient times.
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 Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Mid-Autumn Festival. The moon on August 15 is rounder and brighter than the full moons in other months, so it is also called "Moon Night" and "August Festival". On this night, people look up at the bright moon in the sky like jade, and naturally look forward to family reunion. Wanderers who are far away from home also take this opportunity to pin their thoughts on their hometown and relatives. Therefore, Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Reunion Festival".
In ancient times, our people had the custom of "autumn dusk and evening moon". The evening moon is to worship the moon god. In the Zhou dynasty, every mid-autumn night was held to welcome the cold and offer sacrifices to the moon. Set up a big incense table, and put moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums, grapes and other sacrifices, among which moon cakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable. Watermelon has to 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 worships the moon in turn, and then the housewife cuts up the reunion moon cake. Cut the people in advance to calculate the number of people in the whole family, at home and in the field, all together, can not cut more or less, the size should be the same.
According to legend, the ugly woman of the ancient State of Qi had no salt. When she was young, she was devout to Yue Bai. When she grew up, she entered the palace with superior moral character, but she was not favored. 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 the queen, from which the Mid-Autumn Festival Yue Bai came. In the middle of the moon, Chang 'e is famous for her beauty, so Yue Bai, a young girl, wishes to be "like Chang 'e, and her face is like a bright moon".
In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the northern song dynasty. On the night of August 15th, people all over the city, rich and poor, old and young, put on adult clothes, burn incense and 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. In some places there are activities such as dancing grass dragons and building pagodas. 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 Festival trees, lighting tower lanterns, putting sky lanterns, walking on the moon and dancing dragon.
Today, the custom of playing under the moon is far from prevailing in the old days. However, feasting to enjoy the moon is still very popular. People regard asking for the moon as a "till, raising my cup, I asked the bright moon" to celebrate a better life, or wish their distant relatives health and happiness, and "a thousand miles away" with their families.