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. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a relic of the worship of celestial phenomena in ancient times-the custom of respecting the moon. At the autumnal equinox, it is an ancient "Moon Festival". The Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional "Moon Festival".

according to textual research, the "Moon Festival" was originally set on the day of the autumnal equinox in the 24th solar term of the dry calendar. However, because the day in August of the lunar calendar is different every year, there may not always be a full moon. Later, the "Moon Festival" was changed from the autumnal equinox to August 15th of the lunar calendar. Offering sacrifices to the moon is a very old custom in China. In fact, it is a worship activity of the ancient people in some places in ancient China to the "Moon God".

Extended information:

Mooncakes symbolize reunion, which should have been recorded in writing since the Ming Dynasty. If we look at the information about moon cakes and Mid-Autumn Festival folklore in the Ming Dynasty, we should be able to see the historical track of the reunion of moon cakes: after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the whole family will sit around and share the moon cakes and fruits (offerings for the moon).

Because moon cakes are also round and shared by the whole family, the implication that moon cakes represent family reunion has gradually formed. In some parts of Guangdong, there is a custom of Mid-Autumn Festival in Yue Bai, mainly for women and children. There is a common saying that "men don't have a full moon, and women don't sacrifice stoves".

among ethnic minorities, the custom of offering sacrifices to the moon is also popular. Folk customs in the south of the Yangtze River are also varied during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition to eating moon cakes, Nanjing people must eat osmanthus duck, a famous dish of dancing dragon Jinling. In addition to eating moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Sichuan Province, people also eat cakes, ducks, sesame cakes and honey cakes.

Baidu encyclopedia-moon cake