1, the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The name of "Zhongyuan" originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty. According to five miscellaneous records, "Daojing takes the fifteenth day of the first month as Shangyuan, the fifteenth day of July as Zhongyuan, and the fifteenth day of October as Xiayuan."

In this way, every year on this day, it has become a traditional Chinese festival to taste the ancestors in autumn and express the blessings of prayer. Together with New Year's Eve, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Double Ninth Festival, it forms the traditional ancestor worship festival in China.

Now, this day is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Yulan Festival, and it is more called Ghost Festival or July and a half among the people. On this night, there will be fewer people in Truman.

2. Legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival

Legend has it that Yan's mother suffered karma in hell after her death because she did evil in the world. Yan Luowang saw her mother suffering in hell, so bending the law, on July 15th, opened the door of hell and wanted to secretly release her mother.

However, after the gates of hell were opened, ghosts swarmed out and fell into the world, and some of them returned to their descendants' homes, while others wandered around the world without owners.

Seeing that all beings were suffering, Emperor Zhongyuan, one of the Daomen Ternary Emperors, took an examination of all the ghosts on July 15th, allowing the owners to go home and enjoy sacrifices and offerings, and letting Taoist monks prepare altars to recite sutras for the lonely souls without owners.

Over time, every July 15th, the ghosts will return to the world from hell to enjoy the sacrifice, and at the same time accept the examination of the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty.

Customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival:

1, offering sacrifices to ancestors

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a time for people to remember their ancestors and the dead, so families will hold sacrificial ceremonies to express their respect and yearning for their ancestors. People will prepare offerings, such as fruit, food and paper money, and light incense sticks to pray for their ancestors to live well in heaven.

2. River lights

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people will place lanterns by the river or by the lake. River lanterns are lanterns made of paper with candles inside. When the candle is lit, the river lantern will float on the water, symbolizing that people send blessings and blessings to the dead.