The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the moon on Autumn Eve in ancient times.

At the autumnal equinox, it is the ancient "Moon Sacrifice Festival", and the Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional "Moon Sacrifice Festival". In traditional culture, the moon is the same as the sun. These two alternating celestial bodies have become the objects of worship by the ancestors. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the ancient people's worship of the moon. It is the remnant and derivative of the Chinese nation's custom of worshiping the moon.

Sacrificing the moon is a very ancient custom in our country. It is actually a worship activity of the "Moon God" by the ancients in some places in my country in ancient times. Originally, the "Moon Sacrifice Festival" was set on the "Autumnal Equinox" of the 24th solar term in the Ganzhi Calendar. However, because the date of this day in the eighth month of the lunar calendar is different every year, there may not necessarily be a full moon. Later, the "Moon Sacrifice Festival" was changed to "Moon Sacrifice Festival". It is adjusted from the "Autumn Equinox" to the 15th day of the eighth month of the Xia calendar (lunar calendar). The Mid-Autumn Festival has had folk customs such as worshiping the moon and admiring the moon since ancient times, which have been passed down to this day and lasted for a long time.

Extended information:

The custom of admiring the moon comes from worshiping the moon, and the serious worship has turned into a relaxed entertainment. It is said that the moon is closest to the earth on this night, and the moon is the largest, roundest and brightest. Therefore, there has been a custom of drinking and feasting to admire the moon since ancient times. The daughter-in-law who returns to her parents' home must return to her husband's home on this day to express perfection and good luck.

Written records indicate that the folk Mid-Autumn Festival moon-appreciation activity began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but it has not become a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, admiring and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular, and many poets included verses praising the moon in their famous works.

Chasing the moon is also a custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The so-called "chasing the moon" means that after the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the excitement is still not over, so the next night, many people invite relatives and friends to continue. Appreciating the moon is called "chasing the moon". According to the preface to "Lingnan Miscellaneous Notes" written by Chen Zihou of the Qing Dynasty: "On the 16th night of August, good people in Guangdong gather relatives and friends to feast and enjoy the moon, which is called chasing the moon."