The origin of eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival
It is said that eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the broad masses of the people in the Central Plains could not bear the cruel rule of the ruling class in the Yuan Dynasty and rose up against the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang joined forces with various resistance forces to prepare for the uprising. However, the officers and men of the imperial court searched very closely and it was very difficult to pass on the news. Liu Bowen, a military strategist, came up with a plan and ordered his men to hide a note with the words "Uprising on the 15th of August" in the cake, and then sent people to the uprising troops in different places to inform them to respond to the uprising on the 15th of August. On the day of the uprising, all the rebels responded together.
Soon, Xu Da captured the Yuan Dynasty and the uprising was successful. When the news came, Zhu Yuanzhang was so happy that he quickly sent a message that all the soldiers should have fun with the people in the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and give the "moon cakes" secretly sent at the time of the war as seasonal cakes to the ministers. Since then, the making of "moon cakes" has become more complicated and varied. Since then, the custom of eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival has spread among the people.
Moon cakes symbolize reunion, which should have started in the Ming Dynasty. If we look at the information about moon cakes and Mid-Autumn Festival folk customs in 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 sat around and ate moon cakes and fruits (offerings of the moon).
In addition, another origin of eating moon cakes is because of a poem "Moon Cake" by the famous poet Su Shi. He once wrote a poem "Moon Cake": a small cake, just like chewing the moon, is crisp and full. Quietly savor its taste, acacia tears touch the towel. Because of Su Shi's fame, this poem was widely circulated, and gradually the name "moon cake" came into being. Therefore, people often call Su Shi "the father of moon cakes".
Other customs of Mid-Autumn Festival
1. Enjoy osmanthus?
Osmanthus fragrans is a famous plant of Oleaceae. Every autumn, around the Mid-Autumn Festival, if the meteorological conditions meet the flowering conditions of osmanthus fragrans, most of them will bloom around the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, it is cool and breezy. It is also a kind of enjoyment for the whole family to get together happily while enjoying the autumn, eating moon cakes and smelling cinnamon and looking up at the bright moon.
2. Drink osmanthus wine?
In ancient times, the ancients would brew osmanthus wine during the Mid-Autumn Festival to taste and drink. In ancient times, osmanthus fragrans was a symbol of wealth, auspiciousness and prosperity for future generations. As early as in Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs", there were sayings of "supporting horses and fighting, drinking cinnamon pulp" and "drinking cinnamon pulp". Osmanthus wine has a long history in ancient times.
On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, behind the traditional moon cakes, it not only represents reunion, but also represents a yearning, a memory and a gratitude for the happy life in the past. In this splendid festival, let's raise our glasses to celebrate moon cakes and have a good time together!