According to folklore, eating zongzi is to honor the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan. In the records of the "Records of the Grand Historian", one can learn that Qu Yuan was a minister of the state of Chu. Qu Yuan was bent on uniting with Qi against Qin. However, Qu Yuan's idea was opposed, and finally Qu Yuan was framed and deposed. During his exile, when Qu Yuan learned that Chu had been overrun by Qin, he was heartbroken and threw himself into the Miluo River.
It is reported that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu were devastated. In order to not let Qu Yuan's body, by the fish and shrimp erosion. People are spontaneous to throw dumplings into the river. What is the significance of eating rice dumplings at the Dragon Boat Festival? It is to commemorate Qu Yuan, this holiday custom, has been passed down to the present day.
Mid-Autumn Festival to eat moon cakes from the origin of moon cakes, also known as Hu cake, Palace cake, small cakes, moon dough, reunion cake, etc., is the ancient Mid-Autumn Festival offerings to worship the moon god, along the line, it formed the Mid-Autumn Festival to eat moon cakes custom.
Moon cake, in China has a long history. According to historical records, as early as in the Yin, Zhou period, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, there is a commemorative master Wen Zhong's thin side of the heart of the thick "Master Cake", which is China's moon cake "ancestor". Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian mission to the West, the introduction of sesame seeds, walnuts, moon cakes for the production of additional ingredients, then appeared in the walnut kernel as the filling of the round cake, called "Hu cake".
The Tang Dynasty, the folk have been engaged in the production of cake masters, the capital city of Chang'an also began to appear cake store. It is said that one Mid-Autumn Festival night, the Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei enjoy the moon to eat Hu cake, Tang Xuanzong smacked "Hu cake" name is not good, Yang Guifei looked up at the bright moon, blurted out "moon cake", and from now on, "Moon Cake
The name "mooncake" has been gradually circulated in the folklore.
The Northern Song Royal Mid-Autumn Festival like to eat a kind of "Palace cake", folk commonly known as "small cakes", "moon ball". Su Dongpo has a poem: "small cakes such as chewing the moon, there are crispy and Yi."