On the Mid-Autumn Festival, the highlight of every household is ancestor worship.
Then let's learn how to worship our ancestors in the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival ancestor worship activities are usually held at noon that day. Each family prepared rich dishes, wine and rice, and filled the table of Eight Immortals with 24 complete seats, seven pairs of chopsticks, a pot of wine and seven cups in their respective halls. Put a fruit box in the middle. Fruit boxes are generally carved with hexagonal solid wood, and plates are also carved into rectangles with six squares on them.
When the banquet is set, the host lights three sticks of incense, two red candles, lights incense, bows down as a ceremony, and invites ancestors to enjoy the sacrificial banquet, hoping to bless the health, peace and prosperity of future generations. And stop to ask for permission before burning gold and silver coins. The banquet can't be withdrawn until the golden paper is burned out.
On that day, people offered three sacrifices to the gods and buddhas enshrined in the hall. The so-called three sacrifices means that one main sacrifice is matched with two kinds of auxiliary sacrifices. The main sacrifice is usually cooked pig's trotters of five catties, and the side sacrifice is usually cooked fish, squid, mullet and chicken. For example, Guanyin Bodhisattva is enshrined in the hall. Because Guanyin Bodhisattva is not cruel, it is often enshrined with fresh fruit. Because the gods and buddhas are higher than their ancestors, they can only offer "golden paper", and the value of silver clothes is low, which can not reflect the sincerity of good men and women, so they are not among the offerings.
In addition to worshipping ancestors and gods, on the Mid-Autumn Festival, families usually worship gods, such as masters, foundation owners, kitchen gods, mothers of beds, and even gods of cowsheds, stables, sheepfolds and pigsty. This kind of worship usually uses a five-flavor banquet bowl and silver.
Conclusion: ancestor worship on July 15 has its special seasonal significance. July was originally a small autumn, and some crops were ripe. People worship their ancestors according to law, offer new rice and other sacrifices, report Qiu Cheng to their ancestors, and invite them to taste new rice as a sign of filial piety. Disciples Rules, an ancient enlightenment book, says, "Eat or sit, the elders come first, and the younger generation comes last", which requires people not only to serve their parents before they die, but also to keep the unchanging filial piety behind them, and always be ancestors, parents and descendants in front of their parents, and be grateful for their kindness.