The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival evolved from worshiping the moon on Autumn Eve in ancient times. During the "autumn equinox" of the 24 solar terms, it is the ancient "Moon Festival", and the Mid-Autumn Festival is derived from the traditional "Moon Festival". In traditional culture, the moon is the same as the sun. These two alternating celestial bodies have become the objects of worship by the ancestors. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the ancient people's worship of the moon and is the remnant and derivative of the Chinese nation's custom of worshiping the moon. ?
The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, became popular in the Han Dynasty, was finalized in the early Tang Dynasty, and became popular after the Song Dynasty. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, and most of the festival elements contained in it have ancient origins. The Mid-Autumn Festival uses the round moon as a sign of people's reunion, expressing the feeling of missing one's hometown and relatives, and praying for a good harvest and happiness. It has become a colorful and precious cultural heritage. ?
There is also a legend that the Mid-Autumn Festival evolved from the story of Chang'e flying to the moon. This story is the most widely circulated. Hou Yi shot down the nine extra suns, and then God rewarded him with a medicine that made him an immortal. He couldn't bear to leave his wife Chang'e, so he gave the medicine to Chang'e for safekeeping.
On August 15th, Chang'e took the elixir and flew to the moon. Hou Yi missed Chang'e, so every year on this day, Chang'e's favorite food would be placed in the yard, hoping that she would come back and be reunited. After that, it happened every year and was passed down from generation to generation, and it evolved into a festival. Since this day is the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is called the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival and Dragon Boat Festival are also known as the four traditional festivals in China. Influenced by Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival in some countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially the local Chinese and overseas Chinese. On May 20, 2006, it was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Since 2008, the Mid-Autumn Festival has been listed as a national statutory holiday.
The origin of moon appreciation during the Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month; it is named because it happens to be in the middle of the third autumn. It is said that the moon is closest to the earth on this night, and the moon is the largest, roundest and brightest. Therefore, there has been a custom of feasting and admiring the moon since ancient times.
From a seasonal perspective, the Mid-Autumn Festival is the "Autumn Harvest Festival". The grains sown in spring and summer will be harvested in autumn. Since ancient times, people have drank and danced in this season to celebrate the harvest with joy. This is very important in our country. It is described in the earliest poetry collection "The Book of Songs".
In terms of origin, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also a "moon worship festival", which originated from ancient humans' worship of nature. In the ritual system of ancient emperors, there were two sacrifices in spring and autumn: the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. Initially, the day of worshiping the moon was on the day of "Autumnal Equinox". The season of "Autumnal Equinox" is different every year in August, so there must be a moon on the day of Autumnal Equinox. It would be a great disgrace to worship the moon without the moon. Gradually, it became a common practice and the day of worshiping the moon was fixed. On August 15th.
From scientific observations, the tilt of the earth and the sun increases in autumn, and the warm and humid air over China gradually subsides. At this time, the northwest wind is still very weak. In this way, after the humidity has gone and the dust has not risen, the air will look particularly fresh, the sky will be particularly clean, and the moon will look round and big. This is the best time to appreciate the moon.
The custom of appreciating the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and the solemn offering has turned into a relaxed and joyful one. According to "Zhou Li Chun Guan" records, in the Zhou Dynasty there were "Mid-Autumn Night to welcome the cold" and "Mid-Autumn Festival to present good fur". The activity of "Autumnal Equinox Eve (Moon Worship)"; in the Han Dynasty, on the day of Mid-Autumn Festival or Beginning of Autumn, the elderly were respected and provided for by giving them thick cakes. The practice of admiring the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was also practiced in the Jin Dynasty, but it was not very common. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival was combined with mythological stories such as Chu'e flying to the moon, Wu Gang cutting laurels, the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine, Yang Guifei becoming the moon god, and Tang Minghuang's visit to the Moon Palace. It is full of romantic color, and the trend of playing with the moon has just become popular.