Ghosts'Festival
Mid-Autumn Festival is the name of Taoism, which is called July 30 and July 14 in folk customs. It is a festival to worship ancestors 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 30 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 them with new rice and other sacrifices. This festival is a traditional cultural festival to commemorate ancestors, and its cultural core is to respect ancestors and do filial piety. ?
In the Book of Changes, "seven" is a constantly changing number and a resurrected number. I ching: "repeat the same thing and come back in seven days, and the sky will be fine." The seventh is yang number and days. After the extinction of the sun between heaven and earth, it can be revived after seven days. This is the way of heaven and earth running, and it is also the principle of yin-yang cycle. People choose to worship their ancestors on July 14th (Erqi), which is related to the times of resurrection. The Mid-Yuan Festival in Taoism and the Sanli Festival in Buddhism are held on July 15. ?
"July 30th" was originally an ancient folk festival to worship ancestors, but it was called "Zhongyuan Festival" and originated from Taoism after the Eastern Han Dynasty. Buddhism calls July and a half the "San Li 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 Sanli Festival belongs to Buddhism. ?
Sacrificing ancestors on July 14th/15th is a traditional cultural festival popular in countries of Chinese character cultural circle and overseas Chinese areas, and it is the same as New Year's Eve, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Chung Yeung Festival. 20 10 in may, the "mid-autumn festival" declared by the Ministry of culture in the hong kong special administrative region was selected into the national intangible cultural heritage list. ?
The customs of various countries
But there are many countries with this festival, and the customs are of course different.
Chinese custom
Mid-Autumn Festival "Miaopu"
Hebei: Botou City and Nanpi County transported fruits, bacon, wine and money to the ancestral graves on July 15. It is called "recommending new things" to hold the hemp valley to the stalk of the field. The Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangping County sacrifices ancestors with fresh food, and prepares fruits and vegetables and steamed sheep for grandchildren, which is called "sending sheep". On July 15, Qinghe County paid a visit to the grave and presented steamed sheep to her daughter.
Shanxi: Scholars in Yonghe County offer sacrifices to Kuixing on this day. The shepherd family in Zhangzi County slaughtered sheep and competed with the gods in the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that this can increase the output of sheep. Meat is also given to relatives, while those who are poor and have no sheep steam mutton-shaped noodles. Farmers in Yangcheng county make cats, tigers and grains from wheat crumbs and sacrifice in the fields, which is called "going to the fields". The Mid-Autumn Festival in Mayi County takes wheat flour as the shape of children, named "Mianren", and presents children from relatives to each other. Farmers in Xinxian County hang five-color paper on the stalks of fields during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Henan: In Shangqiu County, when the Central Plains worships local officials, a paper flag is hung at the door, which is said to prevent insects. Flying kites during Mid-Autumn Festival in Mengjin County. On July 15, the magistrate of a 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 "××" notes or drowning man's memorial tablets on them, put food, clothes, shoes and socks on them, and then lit candles. The married man put the boat into the sea. In Zhanhua County, every family collected Kyle and fresh grass leaves to build a shed called "Horse House", and asked to put their ancestors in it for sacrifice. Ling Du County calls the Mid-Autumn Festival the Lantern Festival, and every household eats humble meals.
Shaanxi: Lintong County burned paper to worship Ma Gu on July 15. In Chenggu County, farmers will drink alcohol during the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "hanging hoes". The farmers who were delayed went to the fields on the morning of Mid-Autumn Festival, picked the highest and densest ear of rice, hung a five-color paper flag and named it "Tian Fang".
The Mid-Autumn Festival "Lanpen Festival" was held in Qibao Ancient Town, Shanghai.
Jiangsu: Residents in Wuxian County fold gold ingots with tin foil during the Mid-Autumn Festival and then burn them along the road, which is called "ghost fate". There is still a kind of paper ghost circulating in Yizheng county, which contains bowl lamps, gamblers, drunkards and senior officials. There are four boats in the Zhongyuan Festival River in Yixing County, one is a fire-breathing mouth, the other is a woman chanting Buddha, the other is a tinfoil ingot burning, and the other is a river lantern. On this day, villagers in Dong Xian eat flat food, which is a dustpan-shaped food made of flour and sugar. When releasing river lanterns in Shanghai, the stern is decorated with red and green paper lanterns, which is called "Dugu".
Sichuan: In Sichuan Province, there is a custom of burning paper to worship ancestors in the Central Plains. That is, a stack of banknotes is sealed in a small envelope, and the name and title of the recipient, the number of envelopes received, and the name and time of the person who changed the silk are written on the envelope. It is said that the Gate of Ghost was closed on July 15, and all families should "send their children to Shigu". People in Chengdu tied a "flower tray" with paper, put paper money and fruit offerings on it, and walked around the house, saying, "Dear friends, neighbors, former residents, ghosts who don't want to go back, please put the flower tray on it and send you back!" After that, the back end is burned outside the house.
Zhejiang: The rain on the Mid-Autumn Festival in Jiashan County indicates a bumper rice harvest. In Tonglu County, people sing gongs and scatter rice in the wild on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "giving food". Zhejiang East Orchid Society invited 24 old ladies to "walk eight verses" while chanting. Eating "jiaozi Cake" on the rooftop during Mid-Autumn Festival is similar to spring rolls. There is also the custom of putting up street lamps. There are six able-bodied men as a group: one who knocks gongs, one who knocks bangers, one who carries lanterns, one who scatters salty rice along the way, one who puts incense sticks (inserted on a sweet potato or taro) along the way, and one who puts tofu and rice balls (placed on a big tree) along the way, with a sacrifice about every hundred steps.
Jiangxi: People in Ji 'an burn paper ingots in the Mid-Autumn Festival, but pregnant women are forbidden to fold paper ingots. It is said that the paper ingots folded by pregnant women cannot be carried by ghosts after burning, and it is no good to send them to the underworld. When the flame was released, the mage threw bread and fruit at the audience. According to legend, if a woman grabs a steamed stuffed bun, she will have a child the next year. A child who robs buns will never be frightened in his life. Ancestor worship activities in Anyuan County began on July 12, and incense and tea were burned in the morning and evening. On the fifteenth night, clothes were burned and paper money was provided.
Fujian: When people in southern Fujian worship in July and a half, they will first put lights in various waters to welcome guests, help the dead to light the road, and invite the dead to share incense. This is the so-called "water lamp". Most of them are made of paper paste like a palace, with wax oil inside and a colorful triangular paper flag inside, which is called "Pudu Banner". On the national flag, the words "Celebrate and praise China Yuan", "Give Guanglan", "Worship the shade" and "Glow in the dark" are written with a brush, and your name is written to let your good brother (respect the dead in Minnan). It is said that the farther the water lamp floats, the happier 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 14. On this day, people, rich or poor, should prepare dining tables, incense sticks and paper money to worship their ancestors as a memorial. Cantonese people call it "July 14th". In the old days, residents went to ghost shops to buy gold and silver paper clothes (that is, all kinds of colored paper, which is usually considered 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 worship their ancestors accompanied by sacrifices and fruits, and burn ghost clothes (bags) after the worship, commonly known as "burning clothes". After nightfall, all kinds of ghosts, rice, vegetables, wine, incense paper and so on poured in. Sacrificed in front of the door, no master's ghost was given. After the sacrifice, you burn the ghost, leave the sacrifice (wine and rice) outside the door and don't take it back, which is commonly called "burning secluded place". The customs of Hong Kong, Macao and the Central Plains are consistent with those of Guangdong. ?
Guangxi: People in Guilin usually hold the ancestor worship festival on 14 every month. The whole ancestor worship festival starts on July 7 and ends on the evening of July 14, and its process is the process of welcoming ancestors, sending them off and chasing them. In some places, ancestors were welcomed from July 7th, and in some places, ancestors were welcomed on July13rd, but on July 7th, they all had to "prepare meals" (that is, make sacrifices). On the evening of July 14, we bid farewell to our ancestors. After the sacrifice before dinner, we will hold a ceremony to bid farewell to our ancestors until about 10 in the evening. At the same time, we will burn "wallets" with ancestors' names written on them (how many generations of ancestors are written in different families) and "wallets" banknotes of people and guide kings, such as Isaac, water and rice. Its complicated and serious process is the most complicated festival in local ceremonies, and it is also a festival that local people attach great importance to. In Guangxi, July 14 is also called "Duck Festival". People think that the dead can stand on the duck and travel freely between the dead and the dead through the carriage of the duck. In addition, there is a custom of "burning steamed buns", which is generally to worship ancestors first and then burn clothes for ghosts. Food and wine for ancestor worship must be put in a flat basket, which means that wild ghosts are not allowed to rob. ?
Shanghai: Qibao Ancient Town holds the Mid-Yuan Festival "Lanpen Festival", while Fujian and Taiwan set up tables to worship Pudu, which can be divided into "public Pudu" (also known as "Lianpudu", jointly organized by residents of various settlements, groups or temples) and "private Pudu" (organized by individuals or single families and institutions). When the event is held, a "Purdue Flag" with Chinese honorific words and the name of the donor will be erected on the table. Many smokers will also light cigarettes, stick them on their feet, and promote themselves and their "souls" to smoke for "good brothers", which is human. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the old Shanghai held annual worship meetings in Tomb-Sweeping Day, July 30th and October 1st, and there was a huge city god patrolling, which was what the old Shanghai usually called the "Three Patrol Meetings". ?
Yunnan: Tengyue people burned bags after offering sacrifices to their ancestors, and carved a cucumber into the shape of a boat, called a "cucumber boat", and burned it with the bag. According to folklore, July 14/ 15 is the day when the gate of hell opens wide. Yan Xi will teach those ghosts who have been imprisoned in hell for many years to get out of hell, wander briefly and enjoy the smoke and food on earth, so July is also called ghost month, which is considered as an unlucky month, neither getting married nor moving. ?
Hunan: Shaoyang people "receive old customers" around July 12 of the lunar calendar, and burn paper bags and incense to worship their ancestors on the evening of July 15 of the lunar calendar, which is called "sending old customers away". There are several inches of paper money in the paper bag, and the name on the front of the paper bag is taboo. After packing, the word "sealed" must be written on the back. On the fifteenth night, the more buns are burned, the bigger the fire, indicating that the family is becoming more and more prosperous.
Hubei: People in Macheng will slaughter livestock around 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 sacrifice, meat and wine first, and then steamed bread. Bamboo chopsticks were spread out in the dining room, brightly lit, and the sacrificial words were also reported. Every man personally printed and made paper money on paper money, burned the paper and bowed down to his ancestors. After that, the family will hold a feast. This festival can be held on any day from July 13 to 16. ?
Foreign customs
Thai sausage.
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 Kasahara Festival was introduced to Japan from China in the Sui and Tang Dynasties during the Asuka period, commonly known as "Kasahara" (pronounced O-bon, abbreviated as Kasahara Society). July 13 to 16 in the city, August 13 to 16 in the countryside. 13 to visit the grave, 13 to pick up the ghost of ancestors, 16 to send. There is also the habit of giving RMB gifts. People will gather together to dance a dance called "Penyong" according to folk customs. This dance focuses on hand movements, similar to Parapara today. Japanese people attach great importance to Kogasawara Festival, and Kogasawara Festival has now become an important festival after New Year's Day. Enterprises and companies usually have a week's rest, which is called "three-hat rest". Many Japanese who go out to work choose to use this holiday to return to China to worship their ancestors. At this time, the streets of metropolises (such as Tokyo and Osaka) are mostly empty, somewhat similar to Tomb-Sweeping Day in China. ?
North Korea: The Mid-Autumn Festival on the Korean Peninsula, also known as "Hundred Festivals", "Hundred Festivals" and "Day of the Dead", is a traditional festival in North Korea, which originated from the Taoist Mid-Autumn Festival in China and the Bonbon Festival in Buddhism, and later developed Korean characteristics. Compared with the Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Japan, the North Korean Mid-Autumn Festival pays more attention to ancestor worship and Purdue, while the North Korean Mid-Autumn Festival retains the original intention of farmers to celebrate the harvest in autumn, followed by ceremonies such as ancestor worship and sacrifice to the dead.
Singapore: In the Chinese-speaking areas of Singapore, besides the traditional customs such as ancestor worship and Purdue, there is also a special performance to entertain ghosts. The local Fujian people (Minnan people) call it "July Songtai" or "Songtai" for short. Generally speaking, these song tables are built with temporary stage in 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 in the evening, including humorous short plays, magic, singing and dancing. , and perform throughout the lunar July. ?
Malaysia's Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Yulan Victory Festival or celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, in the Chinese-speaking area of Malaysia, besides offering sacrifices to Purdue ancestors, there is also a special performance to entertain ghosts. The local people have established a similar culture in Taiwan Province, which is generally similar to that in Singapore. ?