The word "Mid-Autumn Festival" was first seen in "The Rites of Zhou". According to the ancient Chinese calendar, there are four seasons in a year, and each season has three months, which are called Meng month, Zhong month, and Ji month respectively. Because the second month of autumn is called Zhongqiu, and because the 15th day of August in the lunar calendar, In mid-August, it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". Nowadays, when mentioning the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone will think of moon cakes, "August and fifteen are full, and Mid-Autumn moon cakes are fragrant and sweet." In addition to moon cakes, what other Mid-Autumn traditional customs do you know? 1. Sacrifice to the moon
The "Book of Rites" records: "The emperor rises to the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. When the sun rises to the sun, he rises to the moon on the eve of the eclipse." The eve of the eclipse moon here refers to the worship of the moon at night. . Moon worship originated from the worship of the moon by ancient people. Later, the moon as a celestial body was personified and became the moon god. The royal family of past dynasties called the Moon God the God of Night Light. After the rise of Taoism, the Moon God was called the Taiyin Star Lord. Folks mostly believe that the moon goddess is female, Chang'e, and calls her Yue Gu or Yue Jie.
In the Zhou Dynasty, ceremonies to welcome the cold and worship the moon were held every Mid-Autumn Festival. The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month is the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition to being similar to the Han people's Mid-Autumn Festival, the activities of ethnic minorities worshiping the moon also include a series of activities with rich ethnic characteristics, such as the Zhuang people's moon worship, so it is also called "moon worship". Moon Festival”. The Mid-Autumn Moon Sacrifice Ceremony is an ancient sacrificial ritual that expresses people's beautiful wish to pray for the moon god to bless the world. 2. Moon Appreciation
The custom of appreciating the moon comes from worshiping the moon, and the serious worship has turned into a relaxed joy. In the early days, moon sacrifices were held in autumn, when people focused their attention on the moon and could fully appreciate the beauty of the moon that they usually ignore. At that time, the upper class began to have a more rational understanding of the moon. Instead of simply worshiping it, they gradually began to appreciate the full moon as a beautiful natural scene. This is the so-called "good time and beautiful scenery" mentality.
The folk activity of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but it has not 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 verses 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. 3. Drink osmanthus wine
After autumn, the osmanthus blooms and begins to fall when the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches. People will pick up the sweet-scented osmanthus and brew it into sweet-scented osmanthus wine. Osmanthus wine brewed from osmanthus has a mellow, sweet and sour taste. The aftertaste lingers long after you drink it. After eating mooncakes, drink some osmanthus wine to relieve fatigue. Moreover, osmanthus wine can help you sleep to a certain extent. In addition, drinking osmanthus wine during the Mid-Autumn Festival actually has a meaning. Osmanthus is a symbol of wealth and luck. "Gui" has the same pronunciation as "gui", which is a symbol of wealth. Therefore, osmanthus wine is very popular among people. 4. Eating glutinous rice cakes
Eating glutinous rice cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival in August originated from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period more than 2,000 years ago. It is a traditional custom that has been passed down to this day in memory of Wu Zixu, the general of Chu State. Glutinous rice cake is a kind of token and holy food. During the Mid-Autumn Festival in August, rice cakes are pounded, and the activity of eating rice cakes and admiring the moon symbolizes family unity, happiness, and good fortune. The stickiness of glutinous rice cakes symbolizes the harmony and unity of the whole family; the sweetness of glutinous rice cakes symbolizes the sweetness and happiness of life. 5. Tree Mid-Autumn Festival
In Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other places, tree Mid-Autumn Festival activities are carried out on the Mid-Autumn Festival night. The tree is also erected, which means that the lights are put up high. With the help of their parents, children tie up rabbit lanterns, carambola lanterns or square lanterns with bamboo paper, hang them horizontally on short poles, and then erect them on high poles. When they are skilled, the colorful lights shine, adding to the Mid-Autumn Festival. A scene. Children often compete with each other to see who can erect taller, more lanterns and the most exquisite lights.
These are the traditional customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival that I know. Friends, what other customs do you know?