The traditional games or activities played during the Mid-Autumn Festival are as follows:
1. Moon appreciation comes from worshiping the moon, and serious worship has turned into relaxed entertainment. Folk activities of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but have not yet become a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, admiring and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular, and many poets included poems praising the moon in their famous works. By the Song Dynasty, a Mid-Autumn folk festival centered on moon-viewing activities was formed, which was officially designated as the Mid-Autumn Festival. Different from the people in the Tang Dynasty, people in the Song Dynasty were more sentimental about the moon when appreciating the moon. They often used the waxing and waning of clouds and clear moons to describe human emotions. Even on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the clear light of the moon could not hide the sadness of the Song people.
2. Walk on the moon. There is also a special moon-viewing activity on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival called "Walking on the Moon". Under the bright moonlight, people were dressed in gorgeous clothes, traveling in small groups, or going to the market, boating on the Qinhuai River, or climbing upstairs to watch the moonlight, chatting and laughing.
3. Worship the moon. Worshiping the moon is a very ancient custom in our country. According to records in history books, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, ancient emperors had the custom of worshiping the sun at the spring equinox, the earth at the summer solstice, the moon at the autumnal equinox, and the sky at the winter solstice. The places where they worship are called the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Earth, the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of Heaven. It is divided into four directions: southeast, northwest and northwest. The Moon Altar in Beijing is where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshiped the moon.
4. Play with lanterns. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are many games and activities, the first of which is playing with lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three major lantern festivals in my country, and people play with lanterns during the festival. Of course, there is no large-scale lantern festival like the Lantern Festival during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Playing with lanterns is mainly done among families and children.
5. Worship the moon god. In ancient times, there was the custom of "autumn twilight and evening moon". On the eve of the moon, worship the moon god. Set up a large incense table and place moon cakes, watermelon, apples, dates, plums, grapes and other sacrifices. Among them, moon cakes and watermelon are absolutely indispensable, and the watermelon must be cut into lotus shapes. Under the moon, the moon statue is placed in the direction of the moon, with red candles burning high. The whole family worships the moon in turn, and then the housewife cuts the reunion moon cakes.