The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, popularized in the Han Dynasty, shaped in the early years of the Tang Dynasty, and prevailed after the Song Dynasty. Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of seasonal customs in autumn, and most of the festival customs contained in it have ancient origins. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a colorful and precious cultural heritage, with the full moon as a sign of people's reunion, as the sustenance of missing their hometown and their loved ones, and hoping for a bumper harvest and happiness.

Ancient worship of the moon

The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from people's worship of the moon celestial bodies. Worship of the sun and the moon is one of the important contents of primitive religion. In ancient China, there was a religious custom of offering sacrifices to the sun and the moon for a long time. The two celestial bodies, the sun and the moon, are the representatives of Yin and Yang respectively. The normal operation of the sun and the moon is the guarantee of the harmony of the universe, so the ancients attached great importance to the sacrifice of the sun and the moon.

The Yin people have divided the sun and the moon into the East Mother and the West Mother. According to the time attribute of the sun and the moon, the Zhou Dynasty performed a ritual ceremony for the sun and the moon: "If you pretend that something important will go smoothly, you must release (imitate) the sun and the moon for the sake of the morning and evening."

In the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the Moon God was called the Eastern Emperor and the Western Queen Mother respectively. In Yi 'nan Han Dynasty stone reliefs, the Western Queen Mother and Dong Wanggong are sitting on columns (some say Kunlun Mountain), and there are jade rabbits on both sides of the Western Queen Mother. It can be seen that Guo Pu's statement that "the moon in Kunlun Mountain is pure, and the house of water is spiritual" is well-founded, and the moon god Chang 'e in later generations evolved from the Queen Mother of the West (the earliest name is Chang Xi).

The royal family monopolized the right to offer sacrifices to the moon

During the Qin and Han Dynasties, sun and moon sacrifices were still a royal ritual. Since then, the Northern Wei Dynasty, Sui and Tang Dynasties and even the Ming and Qing Dynasties have had the etiquette of offering sacrifices to the moon on the autumn equinox. Now the Yuetan Park in Beijing is the altar of offering sacrifices to the moon in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

After the sacrifice of the moon was included in the royal sacrificial ceremony and routine sacrifice as a seasonal ritual in ancient times, there was no news of the sacrifice of the moon among the people. This may be related to the theocracy control in ancient society. After the "Jedi Heaven Connect", only Wang Jiacai can communicate with the heaven and earth gods who represent Yin and Yang, such as Sun and Moon, and ordinary people naturally have no chance to enjoy the sacrifice. For civilians, the moon is an external mysterious dominant force, and it is impossible to approach it and sacrifice it. Therefore, the folk custom of offering sacrifices to the moon in the Chinese cultural system was not recorded in the Han and Wei Dynasties, let alone a festival centered on Yue Bai.

Mid-Autumn Festival finally became a folk festival

After Sui and Tang Dynasties, with the enrichment of astronomical knowledge and the progress of the times and culture, the sacred color of the moon obviously faded. At this time, the royal family gradually lost its exclusive authority over the worship of the moon god. Although there was no Mid-Autumn Festival in the Tang Dynasty, it has become a fashion for literati to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The myth about the moon god passed down from ancient times, in addition to the lonely Chang 'e, toad and jade rabbit, there was another WU GANG who was relegated to the moon palace. The moon god has evolved from the primitive cosmic god to a Taoist fairy.

The Mid-Autumn Festival in the Song Dynasty has become a folk festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival has a day off, focusing on enjoying the moon. The Mid-Autumn Festival in the Song Dynasty was a sleepless night, and the officials in charge of public security canceled the routine curfew.

after the Ming and Qing dynasties, the utilitarian factors in social life were prominent, and the secular interest in Japan and China became more and more intense in the new year. The lyrical and mythical literati tradition centered on "appreciating the moon" has weakened, and utilitarian worship, prayer and secular feelings and wishes constitute the main form of Mid-Autumn Festival custom for ordinary people, and the Mid-Autumn Festival has become an important node in people's time life.

Legend of the Mid-Autumn Festival

According to legend, in ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky, which made the earth smoke and the sea water dried up, making it impossible for ordinary people to live any longer. This incident alarmed a hero named Hou Yi. He climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain, hiked the divine power, drew the bow of God, and set off nine redundant suns in one breath to save the people from the fire and water. Soon, Hou Yi married a beautiful wife named Chang 'e.

One day, Hou Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and ask for Taoism. He happened to meet the Queen Mother who passed by, and asked her for a pack of elixir. It is said that after taking this medicine, she could immediately ascend to heaven and become immortal. However, Hou Yi was reluctant to leave her wife, so she had to give the elixir to Chang 'e for collection.

Unexpectedly, pang meng, a doorman of Hou Yi, saw this incident. After pang meng and other Hou Yi went out, they threatened Chang 'e to hand over the elixir. Knowing that Chang 'e was no match for pang meng, she made a decisive decision in an emergency and took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp. After Chang 'e swallowed the medicine, her body immediately flew off the ground and flew to the sky. Because Chang 'e was concerned about her husband, she flew to the nearest moon and became a fairy.

When Hou Yi came back, the maids cried everything. Grieving, she looked up at the night sky and called her wife's name. At this time, she was surprised to find that the moon was particularly round and bright tonight, and there was a swaying figure resembling Chang 'e. Hou Yi ordered people to put on a table of incense, put on Chang 'e's favorite honey and fresh fruit, and offer a remote sacrifice to Chang 'e in the moon palace. When people heard of the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon's immortal Xiao Xi, they put incense tables on the hem of the moon and prayed for good luck and peace to the kind Chang Jiu. Since then, the custom of Yue Bai in Mid-Autumn Festival has spread among the people.

Mid-Autumn Festival custom

Eating moon cakes

The most popular traditional custom in Mid-Autumn Festival is eating moon cakes. As the saying goes, "August 15th is full, and the moon cakes are sweet and fragrant". The word "moon cake" first appeared in Wu Zimu's Dream of Liang Lu in the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, it was just a cake-shaped food like Linghua cake. Later, people gradually combined the Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncake tasting, which symbolizes family reunion.

enjoying the moon

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, besides eating moon cakes, China has had the custom of enjoying the moon since ancient times. "Book of Rites" records "autumn dusk and evening moon", that is, to worship the moon god. In the Zhou dynasty, every mid-autumn night was held to welcome the cold and offer sacrifices to the moon. In the Song Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was more popular to enjoy the moon. According to "Dream of Tokyo", "On the Mid-Autumn Night, your family decorated a terrace and the people competed for the restaurant to play with the moon".

offering sacrifices to the moon

Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the important ceremonies in ancient China. "Book of Rites" records: "The son of heaven is in the spring and the sun is shining, and the autumn is in the evening. Asahi is facing the DPRK, and the evening is in the evening. " In the Zhou Dynasty, emperors had the custom of offering sacrifices to the sun at the vernal equinox, to the land at the summer solstice, to the moon at the autumn equinox and to heaven at the winter solstice. With the passage of time, the festival of the moon gradually spread to the people, and the day of the festival of the moon also moved from the autumnal equinox to the nearest full moon day-Mid-Autumn Festival.

Drinking osmanthus wine

People often eat moon cakes to enjoy osmanthus in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and eat all kinds of foods made by osmanthus, among which cakes and sweets are the most common.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, it has become a kind of beautiful enjoyment to look up at the osmanthus in the middle of the month, smell the Gui Xiang, drink a glass of osmanthus wine and celebrate the sweetness of the family. In modern times, people mostly take red wine instead.

Tide watching

In ancient times, besides enjoying the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival, tide watching was another Mid-Autumn Festival event in Zhejiang. The custom of watching tide in Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history, which was described in detail in Mei Cheng's Fu of Seven Hair in Han Dynasty. After the Han Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival tide watching became more popular. There are also records of watching the tide in Zhu Tinghuan's Supplementing the Past Events of Wulin in Ming Dynasty and Meng Liang Lu by Zi Mu in Song and Wu Dynasties. Su Shi, a poet in the Song Dynasty, wrote "Watching the Tide on August 15th": "I know that the Jade Rabbit is very round, and it has been frosty in September. Send a message to shut the door and close the key, and the night tide will stay in the moon. " This poem is about the custom of watching the tide in the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Bo Cake

Bo Cake in Mid-Autumn Festival is a unique moon cake culture and a unique traditional Mid-Autumn Festival activity in southern Fujian for hundreds of years. Legend has it that when Zheng Chenggong stationed troops, in order to solve the soldiers' love for Mid-Autumn Festival and inspire morale, the Ministry of Life invented it by Hong Xu. People's emotional sustenance is poured into the Expo activities, especially in Xiamen. Therefore, Minnan people always attach great importance to the Mid-Autumn Festival, and even have the saying "Small Spring Festival, Big Mid-Autumn Festival".

burning lanterns

On Mid-Autumn Festival night, there is a custom of burning lanterns to help the moonlight. Nowadays, there is still the custom of burning lamps on the tower with tiles stacked on it in Huguang area. There is a custom of making lantern boats in the south of the Yangtze River. The custom of burning lanterns in modern Mid-Autumn Festival is more prosperous. Today, Zhou Yunjin and He Xiangfei said in their article "Talking about Seasons in Leisure": "Guangdong has the most prosperous lanterns, and families tie lanterns with bamboo strips ten days before the festival. Make fruit, birds and animals, fish and insects and' celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival' and so on, and paint various colors on paste paper.

The internal combustion candle of the Mid-Autumn Night Lantern is tied to a bamboo pole with a rope, which stands high on the tile eaves or terrace, or is built into a font or a seed with a small lamp. This kind of shape, hanging high in the house, is commonly known as' Mid-Autumn Festival on a tree' or' Mid-Autumn Festival vertically'. The lamp hung by a wealthy family can be as high as tens of feet. Family members gather under the lamp to enjoy drinking, while ordinary people erect a flagpole and two lanterns to enjoy themselves. The city is full of lights and glass world. " It seems that since ancient times, the custom of burning lanterns in Mid-Autumn Festival seems to be second only to the Lantern Festival in scale. In the south of the Yangtze River, there is a folk custom of making lanterns on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, and then putting the lanterns in the water and flowing to the distance, at the same time, it also entrusts people with good wishes.

Walking on the Moon

Walking on the Moon is unfamiliar to most people, but it is a custom activity that must be done on Mid-Autumn Festival night. In ancient times, people dressed luxuriantly, accompanied by three or five people, or strolled the streets, or went boating on the Qinhuai River, or went upstairs to watch the Yuet Moon, talking and laughing. It means that the moon is full and people are round, and it will not be scattered until late at night. In addition, in ancient times, walking on the moon also had the meaning of adding Ding. However, any married woman who has not given birth to a son will go to the Confucius Temple on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and then cross a bridge. According to legend, there will be a "dream of a bear" (meaning to have a boy).

For male prostitute

In ancient times, it was a tradition for every family to invite male prostitute for the Mid-Autumn Festival, just like shooting firecrackers in the New Year. Please put male prostitute back on a conspicuous table and call Yutu "male prostitute" and "Grandma Rabbit". And will use melons, fruits and kidney beans to offer sacrifices to the Jade Rabbit to reward the happiness it brings to the world, hoping that "male prostitute" can bless the whole family's safety and health. By the Qing Dynasty, the function of male prostitute had changed from offering sacrifices to the moon to children's Mid-Autumn Festival toys. Nowadays, we rarely see male prostitute in the market. Generally, it is exhibited as a folk cultural relic in a folk museum or sold in a handicraft shop.

Burning Tower

The game of burning tile lanterns (or burning flower tower, burning tile tower and burning fan tower) is widely circulated in the south. For example, in Volume 5 of "Records of Chinese National Customs": "On Mid-Autumn Night in Jiangxi, children usually pick up tiles in the wild and pile them into a round tower with holes. At dusk, burn it in a firewood tower under the bright moon. As soon as the tiles burn red, then pour kerosene on the fire, and suddenly the fields are red and shine like day.

it was not until late at night when no one was watching, and it began to pour interest. It was a famous burning tile lamp. " The tile-burning tower in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province is also a hollow tower made of bricks and tiles, which is filled with branches and burned. At the same time, it also burns smoke piles, that is, piles of grass and firewood are burned after the end of Yue Bai. The Burning Fan Tower in the border area of Guangxi is similar to this kind of activity, but the folklore is to commemorate the heroic battle of Liu Yongfu, a famous anti-French fighter in Qing Dynasty, who burned the ghost (French invaders) who escaped into the tower. There is also a "burning tower boy" activity in Jinjiang, Fujian.

Yue Bai

In ancient times, there was a custom of "autumn twilight and moonlight". The evening moon is to worship the moon god. Set up a big incense table, and put moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums, grapes and other sacrifices, among which moon cakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable. Watermelon has to be cut into lotus shapes. Under the moon, put the moon statue in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family worships the moon in turn, and then the housewife cuts up the reunion moon cake. Cut the people in advance to calculate the number of people in the whole family, at home and in the field, all together, can not cut more or less, the size should be the same.

Playing with lanterns

As early as the Northern Song Dynasty, it was recorded in Old Wulin that the Mid-Autumn Festival was celebrated, and there was an activity of "putting a little red lantern into the river to drift and play". Playing lanterns in the Mid-Autumn Festival is mostly concentrated in the south. For example, at the aforementioned Foshan Autumn Festival, there were all kinds of colorful lights: sesame lights, eggshell lights, wood shavings lights, straw lights, fish scales lights, chaff lights, melon seeds lights and flowers and trees lights of birds and animals, which were amazing.