Moon cakes, also known as Hu cakes, palace cakes, small cakes, moon cakes, reunion cakes, etc., are offerings to worship the moon god in the ancient Mid-Autumn Festival, and the custom of eating moon cakes has been formed since it was handed down.
Moon cakes have a long history in China. According to historical records, as early as the Yin and Zhou Dynasties, there was a kind of "Taishi cake" in memory of Taishi Wen Zhong, which was the "ancestor" of moon cakes in China. When Zhang Qian was sent to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty, sesame seeds and walnuts were introduced, which added auxiliary materials to the production of moon cakes. At this time, a round cake filled with walnuts appeared, which was called "Hu cake".
In the Tang Dynasty, there were bakers engaged in production among the people, and pastry shops began to appear in Chang 'an, the capital. It is said that one year in the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei enjoyed the moon and ate Hu Bing, Tang Xuanzong thought the name of Hu Bing was not nice. Yang Guifei looked up at the bright moon and felt a surge of emotion, and casually came up with "moon cake". Since then, the name of "moon cake" has gradually spread among the people.
The royal Mid-Autumn Festival in the Northern Song Dynasty likes to eat a kind of "palace cake", which is commonly known as "small cake" and "moon group". Su Dongpo has a poem: "A small cake is like chewing the moon, and there is crisp and pleasant in it."
The writers of the Song Dynasty were thorough, and they mentioned the name of "moon cake" in Old Wulin, which narrated what Lin 'an, the capital of the Southern Song Dynasty, saw.
In the Ming Dynasty, eating moon cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival gradually spread among the people. At that time, ingenious bakers printed the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon's fairy tales on mooncakes as food art drawings, making mooncakes a necessary food for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival in the Story
There are many legends handed down about Mid-Autumn Festival, and many of them have become household myths. The Goddess Chang's fly to the moon
According to legend, in ancient times, there were ten days in the sky at the same time, and the crops died in the sun, and the people were miserable. A hero named Hou Yi had infinite strength. He sympathized with the suffering people, climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain, exerted his divine power, opened his bow, shot down more than nine suns in one breath, and ordered the last one to rise and fall on time for the benefit of the people.
Hou Yi was respected and loved by the people, and he married a beautiful and kind wife named Chang 'e.
Many people with lofty ideals came here to study as a teacher, and Peng Meng, who had ulterior motives, also mixed in.
One day, Hou Yi happened to meet the Queen Mother and asked her for a pack of elixir. It is said that taking this medicine can instantly ascend to heaven and become immortal. However, this medicine can only be taken by one person, and Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife, so he had to give the immortal medicine to Chang 'e for the time being. Chang 'e hid the medicine in the treasure box of the dresser, only to be seen by the villain Peng Meng. He wanted to steal the immortal medicine and become immortal himself.
Three days later, Hou Yi led his followers out hunting, and Peng Meng, who had ulterior motives, pretended to be ill and stayed. Soon after Hou Yi led the crowd away, Peng Meng broke into the backyard of the inner house with a sword in his hand, threatening Chang 'e to hand over the elixir. Chang 'e made a decisive decision and swallowed it herself. After that, Chang 'e immediately floated off the ground and flew to the sky. Because Chang 'e was concerned about her husband, she flew to the nearest moon and became a fairy. When Hou Yi learned that she was heartbroken, she had to send someone to Chang 'e's favorite back garden, put on a table sweetmeats and put on her favorite honey-eaten fresh fruit to offer a remote sacrifice to Chang 'e. After the people heard about it, they also set up incense tables under the moon to sacrifice Chang 'e from afar. Since then, the custom of Yue Bai in Mid-Autumn Festival has spread among the people. Wu Gang won
There is also a legend about the Mid-Autumn Festival: It is said that the osmanthus tree in front of the Guanghan Palace on the moon grows luxuriantly, with a height of more than 500 feet. There is a person who often cuts it down below, but after each cut, the cut place is closed immediately. For thousands of years, this laurel tree can never be cut down. It is said that this tree-chopping man named WU GANG, a native of Xihe, Han Dynasty, once followed the immortal to the heaven, but when he made a mistake, the immortal relegated him to the Moon Palace, and did this kind of futile drudgery every day to show his punishment. In Li Bai's poems, there is a record that "if you want to be in the middle of the moon, you will pay for the cold." Zhu Yuanzhang uprising
It is said that eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival began in Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the broad masses of people in the Central Plains could not bear the cruel rule of the ruling class in the Yuan Dynasty and rebelled against the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang joined forces with various resistance forces to prepare for the uprising. However, the officers and men of the court searched very closely and it was very difficult to pass on the news. Strategist Liu Bowen came up with a plan and ordered his subordinates to hide the note containing the "August 15th night uprising" into the cake, and then sent someone to send it to the uprising troops in various places separately to inform them to respond to the uprising on August 15th night. On the day of the uprising, all the rebels responded together, such as single spark can start a prairie fire.
Soon, Xu Da captured the Yuan Dynasty and the uprising was successful. When the news came, Zhu Yuanzhang was so happy that he quickly gave a message that all the soldiers would have fun with the people in the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival, and he would give the "moon cakes" that were sent in secret when he started fighting that year as seasonal cakes to his ministers. Since then, the production of "moon cakes" has become more and more elaborate, with more varieties, such as discs, and has become a good gift. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the custom of eating moon cakes spread among the people.
2 The reason for the custom of eating moon cakes in Mid-Autumn Festival
Tracing the Mid-Autumn Festival
According to historical records, the word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the book Zhou Li. But it was not until the early years of the Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. The Book of Tang Taizong records the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th. But it was not until the Song Dynasty and the Mid-Autumn Festival that it became popular. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was as famous as New Year's Day, and it was the second largest traditional festival in China after the Spring Festival.
According to the Chinese calendar, the eighth month of the lunar calendar is in the middle of autumn, which is the second month of autumn, and it is called "Mid-Autumn", while the fifteenth day of August is in the middle of "Mid-Autumn", so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". There are many nicknames for Mid-Autumn Festival: August Festival, August and a half, Moon Festival, Moon Festival, etc. Because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are all around the "moon", the moon is full and symbolizes reunion, so it is also called "Reunion Festival".
The word "Reunion Festival" was first seen in the Ming Dynasty. "Notes on the Tour of the West Lake" said: "August 15th is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send mooncakes as a token of reunion". "A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of Dijing" also said: "On the 15th of August, when the moon is sacrificed, the cakes will be round, the melons will be wrongly divided, and the petals will be carved like lotus flowers. ..... Those who have a wife who will return to Ning will return to their husband's house one day, which is also called the Reunion Festival. " On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a custom of "reunion" in most parts of our country, that is, a small cake symbolizing reunion and similar to moon cakes is branded, which contains sugar, sesame, osmanthus and vegetables, and the moon, osmanthus trees and rabbits are pressed outside. After the moon festival, the elders in the family will divide the cake into pieces according to the number of people, one for each person, and if someone is not at home, leave a copy for them to show family reunion.
Mid-Autumn Festival custom in Asian countries Japan: Don't eat moon cakes.
The Mid-Autumn Festival in Japan is also called taro moon and chestnut moon. On this day, the Japanese put autumn grasses such as Miscanthus, Lespedeza, and Yellow Flower Sprouts in bottles for fruit and glutinous rice dumplings. The Japanese call this bright moon bean bright moon. Because it is the harvest season of soybeans, it means soybean harvest sacrifice. Only on this day, the Japanese allowed outsiders to steal potatoes from their own fields and thought it was a good thing. Many children brazenly steal offerings from their neighbors with bamboo poles with nails. Japanese people also have the custom of enjoying the moon on this day, which is called "see you on the moon" in Japanese.
The custom of enjoying the moon in Japan originated from China. After it was spread to Japan more than 1000 years ago, the local custom of holding a banquet while enjoying the moon began to appear, which was called "Moon Watching Banquet". Unlike China people who eat moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Japanese people eat glutinous rice dumplings while enjoying the moon, which is called "seeing dumplings on the moon". Because this period is the harvest season of various crops, in order to express gratitude to nature, the Japanese will hold various celebrations. Although Japan abolished the lunar calendar and switched to the solar calendar after the Meiji Restoration, the custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival is still maintained in all parts of Japan, and some temples and shrines hold special moon-watching parties during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Vietnam: children play the leading role
Unlike the Mid-Autumn Festival in China, the Vietnamese Mid-Autumn Festival features children playing the leading role. There are all kinds of moon cakes, colorful lanterns, colorful children's toys and other holiday foods and toys with different tastes in the market, and children's faces are full of longing for festivals. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, lantern festivals will be held all over Vietnam, and the design of lanterns will be evaluated, and the winners will be rewarded. In addition, some places in Vietnam also organize lion dances during festivals, which are often held on the nights of August 14th and 15th of the lunar calendar. During festivals, local people sit on balconies and yards, or go out to the wild with their families, and put on moon cakes, fruits and other snacks, enjoying the moon and tasting delicious moon cakes. Children are carrying all kinds of lanterns and having fun in groups.
With the gradual improvement of Vietnamese people's living standards in recent years, the custom of the Millennium Mid-Autumn Festival has quietly changed. Many young people gather at festivals or at home, sing and dance, or go out together to enjoy the moon, so as to enhance the understanding and friendship between their peers. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam, in addition to the traditional family reunion accident, is adding new connotations and is gradually favored by young people. Singapore: Tourism Becomes the Leading Role
Singapore is a country with an overwhelming majority of Chinese population, and has always attached great importance to the annual Mid-Autumn Festival. For Chinese in Singapore, Mid-Autumn Festival is a godsend opportunity to connect feelings and express gratitude. Friends, relatives and business partners exchange moon cakes to express greetings and wishes.
Singapore is a tourist city, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to attract tourists. Every year when the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the local famous Orchard Road, Singapore Riverside, Chinatown and Yuhua Garden are newly decorated. At night, the lights are on, and the whole street is red and exciting. Malaysia, Philippines: Float Parade is unprecedented.
Eating moon cakes, enjoying the moon and holding lanterns are the Mid-Autumn Festival customs handed down from generation to generation by Chinese in Malaysia. As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, time-honored merchants from all over Malaysia have launched various kinds of moon cakes. There are mooncake counters in all major shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, and mooncake advertisements in newspapers and TV stations are overwhelming, creating a festive atmosphere for celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival. Chinese communities in some places in Kuala Lumpur recently held lantern-carrying parades to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Apart from dragon and lion dances, floats carrying Chang 'e and the Seven Fairys roamed among them, and artists and young people with bright costumes sang and danced, which was very lively.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival that overseas Chinese living in the Philippines attach great importance to. Chinatown in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is very lively, and local overseas Chinese hold activities to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. The main commercial streets in overseas Chinese communities are decorated with lanterns, the main intersections and the small bridges entering Chinatown are hung with colorful banners, and many shops sell various kinds of moon cakes made by themselves or imported from China. Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations include dragon dance parade, national costume parade, lantern parade and float parade, which attracted a large number of spectators and filled the historic Chinatown with a cheerful festive atmosphere. South Korea: Shopping at the right time.
South Korea's Mid-Autumn Festival is called "Autumn Evening", which is a big festival with three days off in a row. In the past, when the traffic was underdeveloped, people would use this period to return home to visit relatives. Today, every month before the autumn evening, major Korean companies will cut prices to attract people to shop and give gifts to each other.