Mid-Autumn Festival evolved from the ancient worship of the moon. The ancient calendar divided each season into three months, namely, Meng Yue, Mid Moon and Ji Yue. August of the lunar calendar happens to be the second month of autumn, which is called "Mid-Autumn", and August 15th of the lunar calendar happens to be the half day of autumn, so it is also called "Mid-Autumn Festival". At first, this day was designated as a festival for the ancient emperors to sacrifice the moon, and it gradually evolved into the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival II
Mid-Autumn Festival evolved from the story of the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon. Hou Yi shot out nine suns, and then God gave him a medicine to become immortal. He was reluctant to leave his wife Chang 'e, so he gave it to Chang 'e for safekeeping.
On August 15th, Chang 'e took the fairy medicine, and then she went to the moon. Hou Yi misses Chang 'e, so every year on this day, Chang 'e's favorite food will be placed in the garden, hoping that she can come back for reunion. After that, every year, from generation to generation, it evolved into a festival. Because this day is the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is called the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival III
Mid-Autumn Festival evolved from offering sacrifices to the land gods. In farming society, crops are very important to farmers, so people often sacrifice land. In autumn harvest, farmers will offer sacrifices to the land gods. The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is just the harvest time of crops, so it gradually evolved into the Mid-Autumn Festival.
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The custom of Mid-Autumn festival
Sacrificing the Moon, Appreciating the Moon and Yue Bai.
The Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history of offering sacrifices to the moon, enjoying the moon and Yue Bai. In ancient times, people would put offerings on incense tables to worship the moon god every Mid-Autumn Festival.
The wind of enjoying the moon was very popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, so a large number of poems about the moon by literati and poets appeared, which have been widely spread so far. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the activities of enjoying the moon in Yue Bai were more large-scale. So far, there are many historical sites such as "Yue Bai altar", "Moon Pavilion" and "Moon Tower" in various parts of China.
Eat moon cakes
In ancient times, moon cakes were eaten as sacrifices in the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is said that the custom of eating moon cakes began in the Tang Dynasty and spread to the people in the Northern Song Dynasty, but it was not called "moon cakes" at that time, but was commonly known as "small cakes" and "moon groups".
In the Ming Dynasty, mooncakes became the seasonal food of Mid-Autumn Festival, and this custom was thoroughly spread among the people. At that time, ingenious bakers printed the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon's fairy tales on moon cakes, which made them even more attractive.
In some places in the south of the Yangtze River, there is also the custom of "divining the champion". Simply put, it is to cut the moon cake into three pieces, big, medium and small, and put the biggest one on the bottom, which is the "number one scholar"; The medium is placed in the middle, which is the "second place"; The smallest one is on the top, which is "exploring flowers". Then the whole family rolled dice, and according to the number of points, they were named "No.1", "No.2" and "Flower Exploration", and they took the corresponding moon cakes and ate them, making them happy.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Mid-Autumn Festival