July and a half was originally a folk festival to worship ancestors in ancient times, but it was called the Mid-Autumn Festival, which originated from Taoism after the Eastern Han Dynasty. Taoism had three elements, that is, the heavenly officials blessed the Mid-Autumn Festival, the local officials pardoned the sins of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the water officials relieved the fate of the Mid-Autumn Festival, hence the name of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Buddhism. In the Tang Dynasty, when the rulers respected Taoism, the Taoist Mid-Autumn Festival began to flourish, and gradually fixed the Mid-Autumn Festival as the festival name, and the festival was set in.
This festival originated from the early harvest in July and a half to worship ancestors. The emergence of July and a half can be traced back to the ancestor worship and the harvest festival in ancient times. In ancient times, people often relied on the blessing of the gods to worship ancestors in spring, summer, autumn and winter, but the autumn taste in early autumn is very important among them. Autumn is the harvest season. People hold a ceremony to offer sacrifices to the ancestors' dead, and then enjoy the best seasonal products for the gods first, and then taste the fruits of these labors themselves.
The custom of Mid-Autumn Festival
Yan Kou: Yan Kou is a Buddhist ceremony, and it is a ritual of eating hungry ghosts according to the Darani Sutra to rescue the hungry ghosts in Yan Kou. According to Buddhism, giving food to the hungry ghost is called putting a flame mouth. After the ceremony, people will burn incense and worship at their doorstep, hoping that the weather will be good and the grain will be plentiful in the coming year.
Bidding for blessings: After the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is another entertainment activity-bidding for blessings. These blessings are donated by members who organize sacrificial activities and enthusiastic people, and there are many varieties, such as daily necessities; Children's toys, gold ingots, rice barrels, etc., because they believe that winning a bid can bring them good fortune, everyone is very generous. These bid opening funds will generally be used as charity funds and can also accumulate funds for the next Mid-Autumn Festival.