The Mid Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, popularized in the Han Dynasty, shaped in the early Tang Dynasty and prevailed after the Song Dynasty. The Mid Autumn Festival is a traditional cultural festival popular in China and the Chinese areas of the world. The Mid Autumn Festival, the Spring Festival, the Qingming Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival are known as the four traditional festivals in China. Since 2008, the Mid Autumn Festival has been listed as a national legal holiday. On May 20, 2006, the State Council of the people's Republic of China included it in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.
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. Sacrificing the moon, with a long history, is a kind of worship activity of the ancients to the "moon god" in some parts of ancient China. The "autumnal equinox" of the 24 solar terms is an ancient "sacrificing the Moon Festival". In the pre Qin period, there were activities of "welcoming the cold on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival", "offering good fur on the Mid Autumn Festival" and "worshipping the moon at the autumn equinox".
The Mid Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs. Most of the festival customs factors contained in it have ancient origins. In ancient farming society, the ancients believed that the operation of the moon was closely related to agricultural production and seasonal changes, so sacrificing the moon became an important sacrificial activity. The Mid Autumn Festival was popular in northern China after the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, the Mid Autumn Festival was combined with fairy tales such as Chang'e running to the moon, Wu Gang cutting GUI, the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine, Yang Guifei changing into the moon god, and the emperor of the Tang and Ming Dynasties visiting the Moon Palace, making it full of romance. The wind of playing the moon was just booming. The custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival flourished in the Tang Dynasty. Many poets have poems chanting the moon in their masterpieces.
During the Song Dynasty, the Mid Autumn Festival has become a common folk festival, and it was officially designated as the Mid Autumn Festival on August 15 of the lunar calendar. In literary works, there is a festival food of "small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crisp and Yee in it". Meng Yuanlao's "Tokyo dream record" said: "on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, your family decorated the terrace and pavilion, and the people competed for the restaurant to play the moon"; Moreover, "the string is heavy and boiling, and the residents near the inner extension hear the sound of Sheng taro at night, just like outside the cloud. Overnight marriage drama; night market parallel Tian, as for knowing.
By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the mid autumn festival had become one of the major Chinese folk festivals. At the age of, the secular interest in the festival became stronger and stronger. Utilitarian worship, prayer and secular emotions and wishes constituted the main form of the mid autumn festival customs of ordinary people. In the moon appreciation activities of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, "the fruit cake must be round", and each family should set up a "Moonlight position" to "worship the moon" in the direction of the moon According to Lu Qihong's Beijing Suihua Ji, "on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, people each set up a symbol of the Moon Palace, which is free from human standing; Chen melons and fruits are in the court, and the Moon Palace toads are painted on the cake surface; men and women worship and burn incense, and burn them once." it is also said in the outline of the scenery of the imperial capital "On the fifteenth day of August, when offering sacrifices to the moon, the cakes will be round, the melons will have wrong teeth, and the petals will be engraved like lotus flowers... Those who have a wife who returns to peace will return to their husband's house on the day, which is called reunion day
Since ancient times, the Mid Autumn Festival has had the customs of offering sacrifices to the moon, enjoying the moon, eating moon cakes, playing lanterns, appreciating osmanthus flowers, drinking osmanthus wine and so on. During the Mid Autumn Festival, there are few clouds and fog, and the moonlight is bright and bright. In addition to a series of activities such as appreciating the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon, eating moon cakes and blessing reunion, there are also activities such as dancing grass dragons and building pagodas in some places. Up to now, eating moon cakes has become my favorite In addition to moon cakes, all kinds of seasonal fresh and dried fruits are also delicious food on the mid autumn festival night.
Customs around the world
The Mid Autumn Festival has also become a traditional festival in Asia and some other countries in the world. Although it is the same as the Mid Autumn Festival, the customs of various countries are different
Korea
The custom of Korean Mid Autumn Festival is to play traditional seesaw games, enjoy Qiang water dance, taste Korean "moon cake" - muffin and taro soup. As one of the three major festivals of the year, the Mid Autumn Festival is called "autumn Eve" in Korean On the day of the Mid Autumn Festival, Koreans like to travel in traditional clothes. On the Mid Autumn Festival, Koreans have the habit of returning home to reunite with their parents. [22]
Singapore
Singapore is a country with the vast majority of Chinese population. It has always attached great importance to the annual Mid Autumn Festival. For Chinese in Singapore, the Mid Autumn Festival is a heaven given opportunity to connect feelings and express gratitude. Relatives, friends and business partners present moon cakes to each other to express greetings and wishes.
Vietnam
Vietnamese also celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival on August 15 of the lunar calendar. They also eat moon cakes and enjoy the moon. August 15 of the lunar calendar happens to be the time when rice is ripe and harvested. At this time, all families have to worship the God of the earth.
Japan
In Japan, the Mid Autumn Festival is called "15 Nights" or "Mid Autumn Moon". The Japanese also have the custom of appreciating the moon on this day, which is called "see you on the moon" in Japanese. The Japanese custom of appreciating the moon originated from China. After it was spread to Japan more than 1000 years ago, the local custom of holding a banquet while appreciating the moon began to appear, which is called "moon viewing banquet" Although Japan abolished the lunar calendar and switched to the Gregorian calendar after the Meiji Restoration, the custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival is still preserved all over Japan
Malaysia
The three things Chinese in Malaysia must do during the Mid Autumn Festival are to enjoy the moon, eat moon cakes and carry lanterns.
