Ghost Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is the name of Taoism, which is called July 30 and July 14 in folk customs, and the festival of ancestor worship in Buddhism. Festival customs mainly include offering sacrifices to ancestors, setting off river lanterns, offering sacrifices to the dead, burning paper ingots and offering sacrifices to the land. Its birth can be traced back to ancestor worship and related festivals in ancient times. July is auspicious month and filial month, and July and a half is a festival for people to celebrate the harvest and reward the earth in early autumn. Some crops are ripe, so people should worship their ancestors according to the law, and report Qiu Cheng to their ancestors with new rice and other sacrifices. This festival is a traditional cultural festival to remember the ancestors, and its cultural core is to respect the ancestors and do filial piety. ?
In the Book of Changes, "seven" is a changing number and a number of resurrection. The Book of Changes: "Repeat the same thing, come back in seven days, and the sky will be fine." The seventh is the number of yang and the number of days. After the yang between heaven and earth is extinct, it can be resurrected after seven days. This is the way of the operation of heaven and earth, and the principle of the cycle of yin and yang. The folk choice to worship their ancestors on July 14 (Erqi) is related to the number of resurrection. The Mid-Yuan Festival in Taoism and the Bonin Festival in Buddhism are held on July 15th. ?
"July 30" was originally a folk ancestor worship festival in ancient times, but it was called "Zhongyuan Festival", which originated from Taoism after the Eastern Han Dynasty. Buddhism calls July and a half the "Bonin Festival". In a certain sense, the ancestor worship festival in July and a half belongs to folk customs, the Mid-Autumn Festival belongs to Taoism, and the Bonin Festival belongs to Buddhism. ?
Sacrificing ancestors on the 14th/15th of July is a traditional cultural festival popular in various countries in the Chinese character cultural circle and overseas Chinese areas, and it is also a traditional festival of sacrificing ancestors with New Year's Eve, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Chung Yeung Festival. 20 10 in may, the "mid-autumn festival (the winner's meeting in yulan)" declared by the Ministry of culture of the hong kong special administrative region was selected and included in the national intangible cultural heritage list. ?
Customs of various countries
But there are many countries with this festival, and the customs are of course different.
Chinese custom
Mid-Autumn Festival "Miao Pu"
Hebei: Botou City and Nanpi County carried fruits, preserved meat, wine and money to the ancestral graves on July 15th. And hold the hemp valley to the field stalk, which is called "recommending new things" The Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangping County worships ancestors with fresh food, and prepares fruits and vegetables and steamed sheep for grandchildren, which is called "sending sheep". On July 15th, Qinghe County went to the grave to offer sacrifices to sweep, and presented her daughter with steamed sheep.
Shanxi: Scholars in Yonghe County sacrifice Kuixing on this day. The shepherd family in Zhangzi County slaughtered sheep in the Mid-Autumn Festival to compete with the gods. It is said that this can increase the production of sheep. Meat was also given to relatives, and those who were poor and had no sheep steamed noodles in the shape of sheep instead. The farmers in Yangcheng County made cats, tigers and grains out of wheat crumbs and sacrificed them in the fields, which is called "going to the fields". Mayi County People's Mid-Autumn Festival takes wheat flour as a child's shape, named "Mianren", and presents children from relatives to each other. Farmers in Xin county hang five-color paper on the stalks of fields on the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Henan: In Shangqiu County, when Zhongyuan worshiped the local officials, a paper flag was hung at the door, which was said to prevent insects. Flying kites on the Mid-Autumn Festival in Mengjin County. On July 15th, Zhi County drew a gray circle in front of the door and burned paper gongs in the circle to worship the ancestors.
Shandong: fishermen in Long Island made boats out of wooden boards, put a note on it "for ×××" or a memorial tablet for drowning people, put food, clothes, shoes and socks on it, and then lit candles. Married men put the boats into the sea. In Zhanhua County, each family collected Ma Ke and fresh grass leaves to build a shed, which is called "Ma Wu", and asked the ancestors to be placed in it for sacrifice. Duling County calls the Mid-Yuan Festival the Pinch Festival, and every family eats humble meals.
Shaanxi: Lintong County burned paper to worship Ma Gu on July 15th. In Chenggu County, farmers will drink on the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "hanging hoe". Delayed farmers, Mid-Autumn Festival in the morning to the field, choose the highest and densest ear of rice, hang a five-color paper flag, named "Tian Fang".
The Mid-Yuan Festival "Lanpen Grand Festival" was held in Qibao Ancient Town of Shanghai.
Jiangsu: residents of Wuxian County fold ingots with tin foil on the Mid-Autumn Festival and incinerate them along the road, which is called "ghost fate". There is still a popular paper ghost in Yizheng County, which contains bowls of lights, gamblers, drunkards, senior officials and so on. There are four boats in the Zhongyuan Festival River in Yixing County, one is a flaming mouth, the other is a Buddhist woman chanting Buddha, the other is a tin foil paper ingot burning, and the other is a river lantern. Dongxian villagers eat flat food on this day, which is a dustpan-shaped food made of flour and sugar. When releasing river lanterns in Shanghai, red and green paper lanterns are decorated at the stern, which is called "Dugu".
Sichuan: In Sichuan province, it is customary to burn Fu paper for ancestor worship in Zhongyuan. That is, a stack of paper money is sealed into small envelopes, on which the name and name of the recipient, the number of envelopes received, and the name and time of the person who changed the silk are written. It is said that the gate of hell is closed on July 15th, and all families should "send their children to shi gu". People in Chengdu tied a "flower tray" with paper, put paper money and fruit offerings on it, and walked in the house, saying, "Dear friends, neighbors, former residents, ghosts who are reluctant to go back, please put on the flower tray and send you back!" After that, the back end is incinerated outside the house.
Zhejiang: The rain on the Mid-Autumn Festival in Jiashan County bodes well for rice harvest. In Tonglu County, people sing gongs and scatter rice in the wild on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, which is called "giving food". The Orchid Club in eastern Zhejiang invited 24 old ladies to "walk eight knots" while chanting scriptures. Eating "dumpling cakes" on the Mid-Autumn Festival on the rooftop is similar to spring rolls. There is also the custom of putting up street lamps, with six able-bodied men as a group: one beating gongs, one beating bangers, one carrying lanterns, one scattering salty rice along the way, one setting up incense sticks (inserted on a piece of sweet potato or taro) along the way, and one setting up a tofu and a rice ball (placed on a big tree) along the way, and setting up a sacrifice about every hundred steps.
Jiangxi: People in Ji 'an burn paper ingots on the Mid-Autumn Festival, but pregnant women are forbidden to fold paper ingots. It is said that the paper ingots folded by pregnant women can't be carried by ghosts after incineration, and it is no good to send them to the underworld. When the flame was released, the mage threw buns and fruits at the audience. Legend has it that women grab a steamed stuffed bun and get a child the next year. A child who snatches a steamed stuffed bun will not be frightened all his life. Ancestor worship in Anyuan County begins on July 12th, and incense is burned and tea is offered in the morning and evening. On the fifteenth night, the clothes were burned and paper money was offered.
Fujian: When people in southern Fujian worship in July and a half, they will first set off lights in various waters to welcome the dead, help them light the way, and invite them to share incense, which is called "water lanterns". Most of them are made of paper paste like a palace, with wax oil in it, and there is a colorful triangular paper flag inside, which is called "Pudu Banner". The flag is written with a brush with the words "Celebrate and praise the Chinese Yuan", "Give a wide orchid", "Worship the Yin light" and "shine in the dark", and write down your own name to let your good brothers (Minnan language respect the dead) It is said that the farther the water lamp floats, the more blessed the donor is. ? [20-2 1]?
Mid-Autumn Festival Lotus Leaf Lantern
Guangdong: In South China, there is a tradition of offering sacrifices on July 14th. On this day, no matter rich or poor, people should prepare dining tables, incense sticks and paper money to pay homage to their ancestors to show their memory. Guangdong people call it "July 14th". In the old days, residents went to the ghost shop to buy gold and silver paper clothes (that is, all kinds of colored paper, which is commonly thought to be used to make ghost clothes), silver coins (mingbi) and ingots, and put them in paper bags, sealed, commonly known as "bags". In the afternoon, they were accompanied by sacrifices and fruits to worship their ancestors, and burned the ghost clothes (bags) after worship, commonly known as "burning clothes". After nightfall, all kinds of ghosts, rice, food, wine, incense paper, etc. were sacrificed in front of the door, and ghosts without owners were given. After the sacrifice, you burn the ghost, leaving the sacrifice (wine and rice) outside the door and not taking it back, commonly known as "burning the secluded". The customs of Zhongyuan in Hong Kong and Macao are consistent with those in Guangdong. ?
Guangxi: People in Guilin mostly take the 14th of the month as the ancestor worship festival, and the whole festival should start from July 7th to the evening of July 14th, and its process is the process of welcoming ancestors, seeing them off and chasing after ancestors. In some places, ancestors are welcomed from July 7, and some are welcomed on July 13, but on July 7, they all have to "prepare meals" (that is, sacrifice); On the evening of July 14th, we bid farewell to our ancestors. After the sacrifice before dinner, we will hold a ceremony to bid farewell to our ancestors until around 10: 00 pm. At the same time, we will burn the "wallet" with the names of our ancestors (different families write about how many generations of ancestors) and the "wallet" paper money of the bearer and the guide king at the intersection to sprinkle rice, water and rice. Its complicated and serious process is the most complicated festival in the local ceremony, and it is also a festival that local people attach great importance to. In Guangxi, the 14th of July is also called "Duck Festival". People think that the dead can stand on ducks and travel freely between the dead and the dead through the carriage of ducks. In addition, there is also a custom of "burning buns", which is generally to worship ancestors first, and then to burn clothes for ghosts. The food and wine for ancestor worship must be placed in a flat basket, which means that wild ghosts are not allowed to snatch it. ?
Shanghai: Qibao Ancient Town holds the Mid-Yuan Festival "Lanpen Grand Festival", while Fujian and Taiwan set tables to worship Pudu, which is divided into "public pu" (also known as "Lianpu", which is jointly held by residents of all settlements, groups or temples) and "private pu" (held by individuals or single families and institutions). When it is held, the "Pudu flag" with Chinese honorific words and donor names will also be erected on the table. Many smokers will also light cigarettes, stick them on their feet, and push themselves and their "souls" for "good brothers" to smoke, which has a human touch. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, old Shanghai held an altar meeting every year on Qingming Day, July 30, and October 1, and there was a huge city god on patrol, which was commonly called the "Three Patrol Meeting" in old Shanghai. ?
Yunnan: Tengyue people burned the bag after offering sacrifices to their ancestors, and carved a cucumber into a boat shape, called "cucumber boat", which was incinerated with the bag. According to folk legend, the 14th/15th of July every year is the day when the gate of hell opens wide. Yan will let those ghosts who suffer and are imprisoned in hell all the year round walk out of hell, get short-term wandering and enjoy the human smoke and food, so July is also called ghost month, which is considered as an unlucky month, neither marrying nor moving. ?
Hunan: Shaoyang people "receive old customers" around July 12th of the lunar calendar, and burn paper bags and burn incense to worship their ancestors on the night of July 15th of the lunar calendar, saying "send old customers away". There are inches of paper money in the paper bag, and the name on the front of the paper bag is taboo. After it is wrapped, the word' seal' must be written on the back. On the fifteenth night, the more packages were burned, the greater the fire, indicating that the family became more prosperous.
Hubei: People in Macheng will slaughter livestock before and after the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, get together with their aunts, and burn paper money to worship their deceased ancestors. On the day of the sacrifice, meat and liquor are offered first, and "steamed bread" is served. Bamboo chopsticks are spread evenly between the meals, and the lights are bright, and the words of the sacrifice are also appealed. Each male personally printed and made paper money on paper money, burned the paper and bowed down to his ancestors. After that, the family will have a feast. The festival can be held on any day between July 13th and 16th. ?
Foreign customs
Thailand loi krathong.
Thailand: The loi krathong will be held on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, and people will put lanterns to pray for the dead.
Japan: The Bonin Festival was introduced to Japan from China in Sui and Tang Dynasties in asuka period, commonly known as "Bonin" (pronounced O-bon, abbreviated as Bonin Society). In the city from July 13th to 16th, and in the countryside from August 13th to 16th. Sweep the grave before 13th, pick up the ghosts of ancestors on 13th, and deliver them on 16th. There is also the habit of giving Chinese Yuan gifts, and people will gather in folk customs to dance a dance called "Penyong", which focuses on hand movements, similar to today's Para Para. The Japanese attach great importance to the Bonin Festival, which has now become an important festival after New Year's Day. Enterprises and companies usually have a week off, which is called "Bonin Rest". Many Japanese who go out to work are choosing to use this holiday to return home to worship their ancestors. At this time, the streets in metropolises (such as Tokyo and Osaka) are mostly deserted, somewhat similar to Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. ?
North Korea: The Mid-Autumn Festival on the Korean Peninsula, also known as "Hundred Festival", "Hundred Festival" and "Festival of the Dead", is a traditional festival in North Korea, which originated from the Taoist Mid-Autumn Festival in China and the Buddhist Bonbon Festival, and then developed Korean characteristics. Compared with the Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Japan, the Mid-Autumn Festival in North Korea pays more attention to ancestor worship and Purdue, while the Mid-Autumn Festival in North Korea retains the original intention of farmers to celebrate the harvest in autumn, followed by ceremonies such as ancestor worship and the sacrifice of the dead. ?
Singapore: In the Chinese-speaking areas of Singapore, in addition to the above-mentioned traditional customs such as offering sacrifices to ancestors and Pudu, there is also a special performance to entertain ghosts. The local Fujian people (Minnan people) call it "July Song Terrace" or "Song Terrace" for short. In general, these song tables are set up with temporary stage on the open space, decorated with audio equipment and lighting, and rows of chairs are placed in the audience, while the chairs in the first row are usually reserved for "good brothers" (ghosts). Stage performances are usually arranged at night, including humorous short plays, magic, strong songs and dances, etc., and performances are held throughout the seventh month of the lunar calendar. ?
Malaysia In the Chinese areas of Malaysia, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Yulan Victory Festival or Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, has a special performance to entertain ghosts in addition to offering sacrifices to the ancestors of Purdue. The locals have established a similar Taiwanese culture, which is generally similar to that of Singapore. ?