July 15 is a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival in China, also known as July 30th, July 14, Ancestor's Day, Orchid Festival and Local Officials' Day. 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.

This festival originated from the "July and a half" harvest in early autumn to worship ancestors. The appearance of "July 30" can be traced back to ancient ancestor worship and harvest festival. In ancient times, people often relied on the blessing of the gods to obtain a bumper harvest in agriculture. Worship ancestors in spring, summer, autumn and winter, but the "autumn flavor" in early autumn is very important. Autumn is the harvest season. People hold ceremonies to sacrifice the souls of ancestors, first offering the best seasonal products to the gods, and then tasting the fruits of these labors themselves, hoping for a bumper harvest in the coming year.

Extended data

Local custom

1, Hebei

Botou City and Nanpi County took fruits, bacon, wine and money to their ancestral graves on July 15. It is called "recommending new things" to hold a hemp valley to a field stalk. The Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangping County offers fresh food to worship ancestors, and prepares fruits and vegetables and steamed sheep for grandchildren, which is called "sending sheep". On July 15, Qinghe County went to the grave to pay a sacrifice and offer steamed sheep to her daughter.

2. Shanxi

On this day, scholars in Yonghe County offered sacrifices to Kuixing. The shepherd family in Zhangzi County slaughtered sheep in the Mid-Autumn Festival, competing with the gods. 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 use steamed noodles in the shape of sheep instead. Farmers in Yangcheng county make cats, tigers and grains from wheat crumbs and sacrifice them in the fields, which is called "going to the fields". People in Mayi County take wheat flour as the shape of children in the Mid-Autumn Festival, named "Mianren", and give each other children from relatives. Farmers in Xinxian County hang colored paper on the stalks of fields on the Mid-Autumn Festival.

3.henan province

When the Central Plains paid homage to the local officials in Shangqiu County, a paper flag was hung at the door, which is said to be insect-proof. 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.

4. Sichuan

In Sichuan province, there is a custom of burning paper to worship ancestors in the Central Plains. That is, a stack of paper money 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 silk changer are written on the envelope. It is said that the Gate of Ghost was closed on July 15, and all families had to "send their children to Shigu". Chengdu people tied a "flower tray" with paper, put paper money and fruit offerings on it, and walked around the room, saying, "Dear friends, neighbors, former residents, ghosts who can't bear to go back, please put on the flower tray and send you back!" After that, the back end is incinerated outside the house.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Mid-Autumn Festival