Why is the Mid-Autumn Festival called Ghost Festival?
The traditional Mid-Autumn Festival is in July of the lunar calendar 15. Originated from Buddhist classics, it is said that Mulian saw her dead mother being entangled by a hungry ghost in the underworld and could not eat, so she turned to the Buddha for help. Feeling her filial piety, the Buddha presented the Eye Bug Sutra and promised to hold a vegetarian feast for her mother on July 15 every year, which has been handed down since then and has become the tradition of "Eye Bug Festival".
Buddhism originated in India, but "Mulian saves her mother" is obviously a legend after localization, because Mulian's mother's surname is "Liu".
The "Orchid Festival" has a long history in Liang Wudi and matured in the Song Dynasty. After being attacked by Taoism, this festival became the "local officials' festival" among the three officials' festivals (namely, heavenly officials, local officials and water officials). Local officials are in charge of hell, so people say: on this day, the leader has a holiday, and the hell is unguarded. The dead in the underworld will return to the world along the light of the Milky Way. Therefore, every household puts on river lanterns in order to continue the galactic road in the world and meet their ancestors.
Therefore, Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Ghost Festival".
What are the customs of Mid-Autumn Festival?
1, Purdue in July and a half
Although the Mid-Autumn Festival is in July and the main activity is on July 15th, there are 36 shops in Licheng District, Quanzhou. If it's all held on July 15, it's very inconvenient to buy food, hold banquets, perform, entertain guests and so on. Therefore, after discussion among the elderly gentlemen, 36 stores were held from July/KLOC-0 to July 30, respectively, so the old Licheng District is in July this month. After consultation and arrangement, Houcheng made Purdue on the first day of July, and then the shops took turns to do it. Until July 30th.
2. Sacrifice Kuixing
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. Sheep Festival
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is also called "Sheep Festival". Xu Shen said in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "Sheep are auspicious." In Oracle Bone Inscriptions's Oracle Bone Inscriptions, it's also called "sheep lead good luck". It can be seen that in ancient times, sheep always represented auspiciousness. In the rural areas of old Beijing and North China, the custom of grandpa and uncle sending live sheep to their nephews on July 15th was widely spread among the people, and it gradually evolved into sending a sheep to the other side.
Before July 15th, dough sculpture activities were very popular among folk women, especially in northern Shanxi. A steamed stuffed bun shop, neighbors came to help. First of all, according to the actual number of families, give everyone a big bag first. The steamed stuffed bun for the younger generation should be kneaded into a flat shape, which is called a noodle sheep. I hope that the younger generation will not forget the kindness of their parents. For the older generation of flower buns, it is necessary to shape the image of adults, indicating that children and grandchildren are full and live a long life; Steamed buns for peers should be shaped like fish, called noodle fish, which means more than one year. It's not so strict now. There are all kinds of steamed buns, such as sheep, tigers, cows, fish, rabbits and people, depending on the owner's taste. After each animal's steamed bread is kneaded, there will be many steamed bread in the shape of melon, fruit, peach, plum, lotus, chrysanthemum and plum, which are decorated with flowers, birds, butterflies, dragonflies and squirrels. Smaller than before, as a gift for visiting relatives and friends. These dough sculptures look lifelike after being steamed and colored in five colors, and each piece is an excellent handicraft. Watching dough figurines on July 15 has become a program for peasant women to show off their dexterity.
4. Worship ancestors first
The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is a traditional Mid-Autumn Festival and an important festival for ancestor worship. Mid-Autumn Festival, New Year's Eve, Tomb-Sweeping Day and Double Ninth Festival (except September, Qing Dynasty) are the four major festivals for ancestor worship in China.
Mid-Autumn Festival is usually held at noon that day. Every family has prepared rich dishes, wine and rice. In their respective halls, the tables of the Eight Immortals are filled with 24 full-flavored seats, seven pairs of chopsticks, a pot of wine and seven cups. Put a fruit box in the middle. Fruit boxes are generally carved with hexagonal solid wood, and plates are also carved into rectangles with six squares on them, in which mushrooms are placed. As mentioned earlier, Dongshi Yuji Boat Line specially built a set of sacrificial vessels made of tin plates, such as banquet bowls, wine bottles and cups, to show piety and attach importance to ancestor worship. When the banquet is set, the host lights three incense sticks, two red candles, incense sticks, bows down as a ceremony, and invites ancestors to enjoy the sacrificial banquet, hoping to bless the health, peace and prosperity of future generations. And stop to ask for permission before burning gold and silver coins. The banquet can't be withdrawn until the golden paper is burned out.
5, burning paper, ghost fate
Residents of Wuxian County fold gold ingots with tin foil during the Mid-Autumn Festival and 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 the flame mouth, the other is the Buddha chanting, the other is the tin foil ingot burning, and the other is the 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".
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.
6. River lamp
Setting off river lanterns, especially in the Yellow River, is very spectacular. Hequ County in the northwest of Shanxi Province is near the Yellow River. The river is wide and the water is mild. On the evening of July 15, the whole city gathered in the square in front of the stage on the bank of the Yellow River to watch the river lanterns. Colored lights drift with the water, and children always pay attention to how far their lights can drift. The old woman kept mumbling and praying. According to the etiquette of Buddhist bonsai, the river lantern is just one of the small programs, which doesn't seem so important. In the folk activities of Mid-Autumn Festival, it is more important to put on lights.
River lanterns are also called "lotus lanterns". Generally, lights or candles are placed on the base, and they are placed in rivers, lakes and seas during the Mid-Autumn Festival, allowing them to float. The function of river lanterns is to drown ghosts and other ghosts in Purdue water. A passage from the biography of Hulan River by Hong Xiao, a modern woman writer, is the best footnote of this custom: "July 15th is Ghost Festival, and dead ghosts can't survive. They are miserable in hell, trying to support themselves, but they can't find their way. On this day, if a fool holds a river lantern, he must support his life. " Probably this road from the underworld to death is so dark that you can't see the road without a lamp. So turning on the light is a good thing.
7. Sacrifice land
On July 15th, offering sacrifices to land and crops is still a folk custom. Scatter sacrifices in the fields. After burning the paper, wrap it on the ears of crops with cut five-color paper. Legend has it that autumn can avoid hail and get a bumper harvest. At the same time, some places have to go to Houtu Temple to offer sacrifices. Hemp and valley are hung at the gate of Dingxiang county folk custom.
What are the taboos of Mid-Autumn Festival?
In the seventh month of the lunar calendar, China is used to calling it the ghost month, which means that the door of the gate of hell is always open this month, and ghosts can travel on earth. July 14 is the heaviest day of Ghost Month. Legend has it that at midnight on this day, if you stay in the wild, you will see the wonders of ghosts walking at night.
Hundreds of ghosts came to Naihe Bridge, and the ghost department led them with red lanterns and came to Yang's long-lost world. So this night is not suitable for going out. The seventh month of the lunar calendar, commonly known as "Ghost Moon", has many taboos. Do you know which taboos must not be violated? The secret of self-protection of Ghost Moon is made public, so that you can understand all kinds of taboos of Ghost Moon, learn the correct way of worshipping God, seek good fortune and avoid evil, and be safe and healthy forever!
1, avoid hanging clothes in the middle of the night.
Wet clothes are easy for free waves to stick to and not easy to come out. Hanging clothes in the middle of the night is like setting a trap for catching ghosts in the ghost month where ghosts are everywhere. Who bothers you?
2. Avoid sleeping with long hair.
During the ghost month, wandering ghosts were everywhere. If you have long hair, be careful that they mistake you for the same kind and insist that you get up and chat.
3, the taboo of physiological period
People think that female compatriots are unclean during their physiological period, and it is not appropriate to watch things like construction and sacrifice, so as not to offend the gods, cause misfortune, or make the fortifications unable to proceed smoothly. Whether this statement is true or not, female compatriots should be more cautious during the physiological period because their physical condition is really susceptible to other powerful magnetic fields.
Avoid celebrating your birthday in the middle of the night
People born in July are a little pathetic. When you celebrate your birthday at night, there will probably be some unknown "people" singing birthday songs together. It's better to celebrate during the day.
Avoid catching dragonflies and owls.
Folk believe that these two kinds of insects are the embodiment of ghosts. Grab at will and be careful to attract ghosts to the door.
6, avoid talking nonsense
On the day of Purdue in the Central Plains, their nests were almost full of ghosts, especially the scene of Purdue Fa Conference, which was absolutely full of ghosts. Therefore, when you are in Purdue, you'd better be careful what you say. Don't talk nonsense except the word "ghost". Be careful of ghosts around you!
7, avoid stepping on paper.
Ghost paper is a sacrifice for ghosts. When it burns, ghosts will come around and grab it. If you step on it and jump around, it won't hinder their actions. When a ghost is angry, it will naturally be bad for you.
8. Avoid patting others on the shoulder.
This taboo is related to folk customs. People think that everyone has three fires, which gather on his shoulders and overhead, which will make ghosts afraid to get close. Therefore, in Purdue, the Central Plains where ghosts are the most, you can pat others on the shoulder at will, just to put out the fire of the other party and let ghosts find trouble with him.