1, Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the moon in autumn in ancient times. Sacrificing the moon has a long history, which is a kind of worship activity of the ancients in some places in ancient China. The "autumnal equinox" of the 24 solar terms is an ancient "Festival of Sacrificing the Moon". The Mid-Autumn Festival is popular in the Han Dynasty, which is a period of economic and cultural exchanges and integration between the north and the south of China, and cultural exchanges between different places spread together.
2. The origin of Mid-Autumn Festival is related to agricultural production. Autumn is the harvest season. The word "autumn" is interpreted as "autumn when the crops are ripe". Mid-Autumn Festival in August, crops and various fruits are maturing one after another. In order to celebrate the harvest and express their joy, farmers take "Mid-Autumn Festival" as a festival. "Mid-Autumn Festival" means the middle of autumn. The August of the lunar calendar is a month in the middle of autumn, and the 15th is a day in the middle of this month. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival may be a custom inherited from the ancient autumn newspaper.
custom
1, offering sacrifices to the moon: offering sacrifices to the moon is a very old custom in China, and it is actually a worship activity of the ancients to the "Moon God". In ancient times, there was a custom of "autumn dusk and evening moon". Evening moon, that is, worship the moon god.
2. Appreciating the moon: The custom of appreciating the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have become relaxed pleasures. It is said that the moon is closest to the earth this night, and the moon is the largest, roundest and brightest, so there is a custom of drinking and enjoying the moon since ancient times.
3, burning lights: Mid-Autumn Festival night, there is a custom of burning lights to help the moonlight. Nowadays, there is still a custom of burning lamps on the tower with tiles stacked on it in Huguang area. There is a custom of making lantern boats in the south of the Yangtze River. The custom of burning lanterns in modern Mid-Autumn Festival is more prosperous.
4. solve riddles on the lanterns: There are many lanterns hanging in public places on the Mid-Autumn Festival full moon night, and people gather together to guess the riddles written on the lanterns.
Other local customs include Yue Bai, Moonlight Horse, male prostitute, Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, dragon dancing, burning pagoda lights, stealing vegetables to beg for lang, stealing melons to pray for children, making cakes in the Mid-Autumn Festival, burning incense for the moon, begging for the moon to climb the moon, walking the moon and taking the Three Bridges, and so on.