The Mid-Autumn Festival is the most solemn traditional folk festival in China besides the Spring Festival. It is the second largest traditional festival in China after the Spring Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival is the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year, so it is named because it is just half the value of Sanqiu. Some places also set the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 16th.
2. Mid-Autumn Festival nickname:
Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Reunion Festival. Some places are also called Mid-Autumn Festival, August Festival, August Festival, Moon Chasing Festival, Moon Playing Festival, Moon Worship Festival, Daughter's Day, Moon Festival and Autumn Festival. In the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also called "correcting the moon".
"Reunion Festival": The full moon in Mid-Autumn Festival symbolizes reunion, so it is also called "Reunion Festival".
"Mid-Autumn Festival" and "Mid-Autumn Festival": August in the lunar calendar is in the middle of autumn and is the second month of autumn, so it is called "Mid-Autumn". And August 15th is in the "Mid-Autumn Festival", so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival".
"August Festival" and "August Meeting": Because the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, it is called "August Festival" and "August and a half".
"Moon Festival" and "Moon Festival": Because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are carried out around the moon, it is also commonly known as "Moon Festival" and "Moon Festival".
3. The origin of Mid-Autumn Festival:
(1) The word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the Book of Rites, and the Book of Rites and the Moon Order said: "The Mid-Autumn Moon nurtures aging and follows the porridge diet." -It probably means that in the autumn of each year (that is, "Mid-Autumn"), (the local county and government investigate the household registration and register the elderly), the court gives these elderly people porridge to drink. "Mid-Autumn" means "Mid-Autumn Festival".
(2) The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the sacrificial activities of ancient emperors. The Book of Rites records: "The son of heaven worships the sun in spring and the moon in autumn"-meaning that the son of heaven worships the moon in autumn; Worship the sun in the morning and the moon at dusk.
(3) The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival is related to agricultural production, and the crops mature in autumn. Mid-Autumn Festival in August is the season when crops and fruits are maturing one after another. In order to celebrate the harvest and express their joy, farmers take the Mid-Autumn Festival as a holiday.
4. The origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival "moon cake":
At the end of Sui Dynasty, Tang Jun was born on August 15th, 13th year of Daye. With the idea of a full moon, Tang Jun Peiji successfully invented moon cakes, which were distributed to the army as military salaries, and successfully solved the problem of military rations derived from absorbing a large number of anti-Sui rebel troops.
5. When did the Mid-Autumn Festival appear as a fixed and formal festival?
During the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many poets wrote poems about the moon in their masterpieces, and the Mid-Autumn Festival began to become a fixed festival in the Tang Dynasty.
The Book of Tang Taizong records: "Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th". It is said that the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival began to prevail among the people when Xuanzong of Tang Dynasty sleepwalked in the Moon Palace and got colorful plumage.
6. When did the "Reunion Festival" first appear?
The name "Reunion Festival" was first seen in the historical records of the Ming Dynasty.
(1) "Notes on the Tour of West Lake" says: "August 15th is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people send mooncakes to each other as a sign of reunion". It means that the 15th day of the eighth lunar month is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people give moon cakes to friends and relatives on this day, hoping for reunion.
(2) A Brief Introduction to the Scenery of the Imperial Capital also said: "On the 15th of August, when the moon is sacrificed, the cakes will be round, and the melons will be divided into teeth, and the petals will be carved like lotus flowers. ..... Those who are married to mothering will return to their husband's house one day, which is called the Reunion Festival ". -It means to worship the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th. It is required that the cakes used to worship the moon should be round, and the watermelons used should also be in the shape of lotus flowers ... If a married woman returns to her mother's family, she must also return to her husband's family on this day, which means that this day is a reunion festival.
7. Which countries in the world celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival?
Mid-Autumn Festival is not only a Chinese festival, but also a traditional festival in Korea, Japan and other countries.
(1) South Korea: Koreans celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also called "Autumn Evening" or "Thanksgiving Day" by Koreans. "Mid-Autumn Festival" has a five-day holiday in Korea, which is the longest holiday in a year in Korea.
(2) Japan: The Japanese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "Fifteen Nights" or "Moon of Mid-Autumn Festival" in Japan. Japanese people also have the custom of enjoying the moon on this day, which is called "see you on the moon" in Japanese. Japanese people eat glutinous rice dumplings while enjoying the moon, which is called "seeing dumplings on the moon".
(3) Vietnam: Vietnamese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Mid-Autumn Festival every year, lantern festivals are held all over Vietnam. In Vietnam, children play the leading role in the Mid-Autumn Festival.
(4) Singapore: Singaporeans celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. Singapore has always attached great importance to the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, because Singapore is a country with an overwhelming majority of Chinese population.
(5) North Korea: North Koreans celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "autumn evening" in North Korea.
Thailand: Thai people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "Praying for the Moon Festival" in Thailand.
Nepal: Nepalese celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called Desai Festival in Nepal.
Indonesia: Indonesians celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "Big Moon Festival" in Indonesia. (9) Laos: Lao people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "Yuefu Festival" in Laos.
(10) Malaysia: Malaysians (mainly local Chinese in Malaysia) celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinese in Malaysia must do three things: enjoying the moon, eating moon cakes and holding lanterns.
Cambodia: Cambodians celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called "Moon Worship Festival" in Cambodia.
(12) Myanmar: People in Myanmar celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is called Hanukkah in Myanmar.
8. Why do so many countries celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival like China?
(1) Geographical proximity: These countries that spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with China are all located in East Asia and Southeast Asia, and these countries are all adjacent to China.
(2) Cultural similarity: the countries in these areas are similar in culture, customs and traditions, and they all belong to the Han cultural circle.
(3) Historical reasons: In history, most of these countries were once vassal states of China, and some countries directly belonged to the territory of China and were directly under the jurisdiction of China.
Therefore, on the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th, the customs of moon worship, moon praying, moon appreciation and reunion in these countries are basically the same.