When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2023?
The Mid-Autumn Festival in 2023 is on September 29th, and it falls on Friday, August15th of the lunar calendar. Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays in 2023 are from September 29th to June 6th, 10, 8 days. 65438+1go to work on Saturday, October 7th, and 65438+1go to work on Sunday, October 8th.
Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the four traditional festivals in China. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, popularized in the Han Dynasty and shaped in the Tang Dynasty. Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, most of which have ancient origins. As one of the important customs of folk festivals, offering sacrifices to the moon has gradually evolved into activities such as appreciating and praising the moon. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a colorful and precious cultural heritage. The full moon is a symbol of people's reunion, a sustenance for missing their hometown and relatives, and hopes for a bumper harvest and happiness.
The origin of Mid-Autumn Festival is closely related to the moon, which is the relic of ancient celestial worship-the custom of respecting the moon. At the autumnal equinox, it is an ancient "Moon Festival". Sacrificing to the moon is a very old custom in China. In fact, it is a ritual activity of the ancients in some places in ancient China to "Moon God". Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional "Autumn Equinox Sacrificing the Moon". In traditional culture, the moon and the sun are the same, and these two alternate celestial bodies become the objects of ancestor worship. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the ancient people's sacrifice to the moon, which is the legacy and derivative of China people's custom of offering sacrifices to the moon. Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, most of which have ancient origins.
What are the customs and traditions of Mid-Autumn Festival?
1, offering sacrifices to the moon: offering sacrifices to the moon is the worship of the "moon god" in ancient times. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, people worship the moon god, set up a big incense table, and put on moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums, grapes and other sacrifices. Under the moon, put the "Luna God" tablet in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family took turns in Yue Bai to pray. Sacrificing the moon to admire the memory of the moon expresses people's good wishes.
2. Moon viewing: It is said that the moon is closest to the earth on Mid-Autumn Festival night, and the moon is the largest, roundest and brightest, so there is a custom of moon viewing banquet from ancient times to the present.
3. Eat moon cakes: Moon cakes are offerings to worship the moon god in the ancient Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolizing a happy reunion. Later, people gradually regarded Mid-Autumn Festival as a symbol of family reunion.
4, burning lights: Mid-Autumn Festival night, there is the custom of burning lights to help the moonlight. Nowadays, there is still the custom of piling tiles and burning lamps on towers in Huguang area. Jiangnan has the custom of making lantern boats.
5. Guess: On the Mid-Autumn Festival, many lanterns will be hung in public places. People get together to guess the riddles written on lanterns. Because this is the favorite activity of most young men and women, and love stories will be heard in these activities, solve riddles on the lanterns on lanterns in Mid-Autumn Festival is also a form of love between men and women.
6. The custom of watching tide in Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history. In ancient times, Zhejiang Mid-Autumn Festival was another Mid-Autumn Festival activity besides watching the moon.
7. Enjoy Osmanthus fragrans and drink Osmanthus fragrans wine: People often eat moon cakes to enjoy Osmanthus fragrans in Mid-Autumn Festival, and eat all kinds of foods made of Osmanthus fragrans, most of which are cakes and sweets. I will also drink a glass of osmanthus wine to celebrate the sweetness of the family.
8. Tree Mid-Autumn Festival: In some places in Guangdong, the Mid-Autumn Festival has the custom of "tree Mid-Autumn Festival", which means to erect the lights high, so it is also called "vertical Mid-Autumn Festival". With the help of parents, children make rabbit lanterns, carambola lanterns or square lanterns out of bamboo paper, hang them horizontally on short poles, and then stand on high poles, shining with colorful lights, adding another scene to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Children often compete with each other to see who stands tall, much taller and has the most exquisite lighting.
9. Burning incense: Burning incense on the Mid-Autumn Festival night in Jiangsu. There are silks around the incense barrel, which depicts the scenery of the Moon Palace. There are incense sticks made of thread Kaori with paper kuixing and colorful flags on them.