The Mid-Autumn Festival is called July and a half in folklore, and it is called the Arahara Festival 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 ground. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are also some special folk activities, such as ancestor worship, grave sweeping and setting off river lanterns. These activities are usually carried out in family or religious places, not in public places. So some people may choose to stay at home and take part in these activities, so they can't go out.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is not a formal legal holiday, nor does it clearly stipulate that people are not allowed to go out during the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, according to the traditional culture and folk customs of China, many people may choose to participate in these activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, whether to go out during the Mid-Autumn Festival is a personal choice, and there is no hard and fast rule.
The Historical Development of Mid-Autumn Festival
According to historical documents, autumn ancestor worship activities existed in the pre-Qin period. The custom of ancestor worship in July and a half is the product of local culture, and inclusive festivals are more complicated. It is not only an autumn festival for ancestor worship, but also the Mid-Autumn Festival of Taoism and the Bonin Festival of Buddhism. The folk, Taoism and monks are integrated. In the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the crops are ripe, and some places in China have a tradition of holding ancestor worship ceremonies at this time since ancient times.
The ancients offered sacrifices to their ancestors in spring, summer, autumn and winter. In July, they will provide newly harvested fruits, vegetables, millet and other grains, which is called "autumn tasting", also known as "recommending new things" and "tasting new things", that is, let ancestors taste new things in autumn. Qing Qianlong's "Puning County Records" said: "As the saying goes, ancestors return to their hometowns, and salty clothes and wine recommend them, although they are poor." Clothes are indispensable in the sacrifice. Because of the heat in July, it is necessary to change clothes to prevent cold, and "July is a fire, and clothes are given in September."
In the old days, the Mid-Autumn Festival was not only significant in the belief dimension, but also a festival with high mass participation and distinctive entertainment functions in the secular level.
Reference to the above content: Baidu Encyclopedia-Zhongyuan Festival