Mid-Autumn Festival (ZhongQiu Jie)

origin

The origin of the Mid Autumn Festival is inseparable from the moon. The Mid Autumn Festival is the legacy of the ancient celestial phenomenon worship - the custom of respecting the moon. In traditional culture, like the sun and the moon, these two alternate celestial bodies became the object of worship of our ancestors. The traditional "Mid Autumn Festival" comes from the "Mid Autumn Festival". According to textual research, the "Moon Festival" was originally set on the 24 solar terms "autumnal equinox" of the Ganzhi calendar. However, due to the integration of calendars in the historical development, the lunar calendar (summer calendar) was used. Later, the "Moon Festival" was adjusted from the 24 solar terms "autumnal equinox" to August 15 of the summer calendar. The Mid Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs. Most of the festival customs factors contained in it have ancient origins.

development

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 is a very ancient custom in China. It is a kind of worship activity of the ancients to the "moon god" in some parts of ancient China. In the autumnal equinox of the twenty-four solar terms, it is the ancient "Moon Festival". The Mid Autumn Festival is derived from the traditional "autumnal equinox offering to the moon". As one of the important sacrificial rites of folk festivals, moon worship has gradually evolved into activities such as appreciating and praising the moon.

The Mid Autumn Festival was popularized in the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty was a period of economic and cultural exchanges and integration between the north and the south of China. Cultural exchanges and envoys and customs were integrated and spread. The existing written records of the word "Mid Autumn Festival" were first found in the documents of the Han Dynasty. It was written in the book of Zhou Li between the two Han Dynasties (it is said that the book was written by Zhou GongDan, actually between the two Han dynasties). It is said that there were activities of "welcoming the cold at the mid autumn night", "offering good fur at the Mid Autumn Festival" and "worshiping the moon at the autumn equinox" in the Pre-Qin Dynasty. According to records, in the Han Dynasty, it was also an activity of respecting the elderly and providing for the elderly on the day of the Mid Autumn Festival or the beginning of autumn. There were also written records of the Mid Autumn Festival in the Jin Dynasty, but it was not very common. The Mid Autumn Festival in the Jin Dynasty was not popular in northern China.

In the Tang Dynasty, the mid autumn festival custom was popular in northern China. The mid autumn festival became an official national festival, about in the Tang Dynasty. "Records of Emperor Taizong in the book of Tang" records "the Mid Autumn Festival on August 15". The custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival flourished in Chang'an area of the Tang Dynasty. Many poets have poems chanting the moon in their masterpieces. The Mid Autumn Festival is combined with fairy tales such as Chang'e running to the moon, Wu Gang cutting GUI, Jade Rabbit pounding medicine, Yang Guifei changing into the moon god, and Tang Minghuang visiting the Moon Palace to make it full of romance. The wind of playing the moon is just booming. The Tang Dynasty is an important period for the integration and finalization of traditional festivals and customs, and its main part has been inherited to this day.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, August 15 of the lunar calendar was officially designated as the Mid Autumn Festival. In literary works, there is a seasonal food of "small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crisp and Yee in it". For example, Meng Yuanlao's "Tokyo dream record" said: "on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, your home is decorated with terraces and pavilions, and people compete to occupy restaurants and 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. The children in the room are married all night; the night market is parallel to Tian, and they are familiar with it".

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the secular interest in festivals became stronger and stronger. In the moon appreciation activities in 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. Lu Qihong's "Beijing Suihua Ji" contains: "on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, people set up the symbol of the Moon Palace, which is free from human standing; Chen melons and fruits are in the court, and the Moon Palace toad is painted on the cake surface; men and women worship and burn incense, and burn it once." "A brief view of the imperial capital" also says: "when offering sacrifices to the moon on the 15th day of August, 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 and return to peace will return to their husband's house on the day, which is called the reunion day."

So far, eating moon cakes has been a necessary custom for the Mid Autumn Festival in North and South China. Moon cake symbolizes reunion. People regard it as festival food and use it to sacrifice the moon and give it to relatives and friends. In addition to moon cakes, all kinds of seasonal fresh and dried fruits are also delicious food on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival. During the Mid Autumn Festival, there are few clouds and fog, and the moonlight is bright and bright. There are a series of festival activities among the people, such as appreciating the moon, sacrificing the moon, eating moon cakes, eating sweet potatoes, carrying lanterns, dancing grass dragons, tree Mid Autumn Festival, building pagodas and so on.

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 is a very ancient custom in China. It is a kind of worship activity of the ancients to the "moon god" in some parts of ancient China. In the autumnal equinox of the twenty-four solar terms, it is the ancient "Moon Festival". The Mid Autumn Festival is derived from the traditional "autumnal equinox offering to the moon". As one of the important sacrificial rites of folk festivals, moon worship has gradually evolved into activities such as appreciating and praising the moon.

The Mid Autumn Festival was popularized in the Han Dynasty. The Han Dynasty was a period of economic and cultural exchanges and integration between the north and the south of China. Cultural exchanges and envoys and customs were integrated and spread. The existing written records of the word "Mid Autumn Festival" were first found in the documents of the Han Dynasty. It was written in the book of Zhou Li between the two Han Dynasties (it is said that the book was written by Zhou GongDan, actually between the two Han dynasties). It is said that there were activities of "welcoming the cold at the mid autumn night", "offering good fur at the Mid Autumn Festival" and "worshiping the moon at the autumn equinox" in the Pre-Qin Dynasty. According to records, in the Han Dynasty, it was also an activity of respecting the elderly and providing for the elderly on the day of the Mid Autumn Festival or the beginning of autumn. There were also written records of the Mid Autumn Festival in the Jin Dynasty, but it was not very common. The Mid Autumn Festival in the Jin Dynasty was not popular in northern China.

In the Tang Dynasty, the mid autumn festival custom was popular in northern China. The mid autumn festival became an official national festival, about in the Tang Dynasty. "Records of Emperor Taizong in the book of Tang" records "the Mid Autumn Festival on August 15". The custom of enjoying the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival flourished in Chang'an area of the Tang Dynasty. Many poets have poems chanting the moon in their masterpieces. The Mid Autumn Festival is combined with fairy tales such as Chang'e running to the moon, Wu Gang cutting GUI, Jade Rabbit pounding medicine, Yang Guifei changing into the moon god, and Tang Minghuang visiting the Moon Palace to make it full of romance. The wind of playing the moon is just booming. The Tang Dynasty is an important period for the integration and finalization of traditional festivals and customs, and its main part has been inherited to this day.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, August 15 of the lunar calendar was officially designated as the Mid Autumn Festival. In literary works, there is a seasonal food of "small cakes are like chewing the moon, with crisp and Yee in it". For example, Meng Yuanlao's "Tokyo dream record" said: "on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, your home is decorated with terraces and pavilions, and people compete to occupy restaurants and 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. The children in the room are married all night; the night market is parallel to Tian, and they are familiar with it".

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the secular interest in festivals became stronger and stronger. In the moon appreciation activities in 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. Lu Qihong's "Beijing Suihua Ji" contains: "on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, people set up the symbol of the Moon Palace, which is free from human standing; Chen melons and fruits are in the court, and the Moon Palace toad is painted on the cake surface; men and women worship and burn incense, and burn it once." "A brief view of the imperial capital" also says: "when offering sacrifices to the moon on the 15th day of August, 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 and return to peace will return to their husband's house on the day, which is called the reunion day."

So far, eating moon cakes has been a necessary custom for the Mid Autumn Festival in North and South China. Moon cake symbolizes reunion. People regard it as festival food and use it to sacrifice the moon and give it to relatives and friends. In addition to moon cakes, all kinds of seasonal fresh and dried fruits are also delicious food on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival. During the Mid Autumn Festival, there are few clouds and fog, and the moonlight is bright and bright. There are a series of festival activities among the people, such as appreciating the moon, sacrificing the moon, eating moon cakes, eating sweet potatoes, carrying lanterns, dancing grass dragons, tree Mid Autumn Festival, building pagodas and so on.

Traditional activities

Worship the moon (worship the moon)

Sacrificing the moon is a very ancient custom in China. In fact, it is a kind of worship activity of the ancients to the "moon god". In ancient times, there was the custom of "autumn evening and evening moon". On the eve of the moon, i.e. worship the moon god. Since ancient times, in some parts of Guangdong, people have the custom of worshipping the moon god (mother of the moon and moonlight) on the evening of the Mid Autumn Festival. Worship the moon, set up a large incense table, and put moon cakes, watermelon, apples, red dates, plums, grapes and other sacrifices. Under the moon, place the memorial tablet of "moon god" in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family worship the moon in turn and pray for blessing. Offering sacrifices to the moon, appreciating the moon and holding the moon for remembrance expressed people's best wishes. As one of the important sacrificial rites of the Mid Autumn Festival, moon worship has gradually evolved into folk activities of appreciating and praising the moon since ancient times. At the same time, it has also become the main form of modern people's desire to reunite and repose their good wishes for life.

On the night of Mid Autumn Festival, there is a custom of lighting lamps to help the moonlight. Today, there is still the custom of lighting lanterns with tiles stacked on the tower in Huguang area. There is a custom of making light boats in Jiangnan. The custom of lighting lanterns in the modern Mid Autumn Festival is more prosperous. Today, Zhou Yunjin Princess he Xiangfei said in her essay "idle feelings try to talk about the season": "Lanterns are the most popular in Guangdong. Every family ties lanterns with bamboo strips more than ten days before the festival. They make fruit, birds and animals, fish and insects, and" celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival "and other words, which are pasted with colored paper and painted in various colors. On the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, the internal burning candle of the lantern is tied to a bamboo pole with a rope and erected on a tile eaves or terrace, or built into a shape or various shapes with a small lamp and hung on the height of their house, commonly known as" tree Mid Autumn Festival "or" vertical mid Autumn Festival ". The lamps hung in the rich and noble homes can be as high as tens of feet. Families gather under the lamps to enjoy drinking. Ordinary people set up a flagpole and two lanterns for their own enjoyment. The lights all over the city are like the world of colored glass. " The custom of lighting lanterns in the Mid Autumn Festival seems to be second only to the Lantern Festival.

admire the full moon

The custom of appreciating the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have become relaxed entertainment. The custom of appreciating the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have become 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 the custom of feasting and enjoying the moon since ancient times. In ancient times, the customs of the north and the South were different, and the customs of different places were different. The written records of the activities of enjoying the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival appeared in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but they were not used to it. In the Tang Dynasty, it was very popular to enjoy the moon and play with the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival. There were poems chanting the moon in many poets' masterpieces.

Chasing the moon

The so-called "chasing the moon" means that after the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, the prosperity is still not exhausted, so the next night, many people invite relatives and friends to continue to enjoy the moon, which is called "chasing the moon". According to the preface of Lingnan miscellaneous notes written by Chen Zihou of the Qing Dynasty: "good people in Guangdong gather relatives and friends to treat wine and food and enjoy the moon on the night of August 16, which is called chasing the moon."

tidal bore watching

In ancient times, in addition to enjoying the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival, watching the tide in Zhejiang was another mid autumn festival event. The custom of watching the tide in the Mid Autumn Festival has a long history, and it has been described in detail in Mei Cheng's "seven hair" Fu in the Han Dynasty. After the Han Dynasty, the Mid Autumn Festival tide watching wind is more prosperous. There are also records of watching the tide in Zhu Tinghuan's supplement to the old stories of Wulin in the Ming Dynasty and Mengliang Lu by Wu Zimu in the Song Dynasty.

Guess riddles

On the full moon night of the Mid Autumn Festival, many lanterns are hung in public places. People gather together to guess the riddles written on the lanterns. Because they are the favorite activities of most young men and women, and love stories are also spread on these activities, so the Mid Autumn Festival riddle guessing has also derived a form of love between men and women.

Eat moon cakes

Moon cakes, also known as moon group, harvest cake, palace cake and reunion cake, are offerings to worship the moon god in the ancient Mid Autumn Festival. Moon cakes were originally used as offerings to the moon god. Later, people gradually took the Mid Autumn Festival to enjoy the moon and taste moon cakes as a symbol of family reunion. Moon cake symbolizes reunion. People regard it as festival food and use it to sacrifice the moon and give it to relatives and friends. Since its development, eating moon cakes has been a necessary custom for the Mid Autumn Festival in North and South China. On this day, people have to eat moon cakes to show "Reunion".

Eat sweet potatoes

Sweet potato is a traditional food during the Mid Autumn Festival. During the Mid Autumn Festival, some places have the custom of eating sweet potato.

Enjoy Osmanthus fragrans and drink Osmanthus fragrans wine

People often eat moon cakes and enjoy Osmanthus fragrans during the Mid Autumn Festival. They eat all kinds of food made of Osmanthus fragrans, especially cakes and candy.

On the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, looking up at the Mid Autumn Festival, smelling the fragrance of osmanthus, drinking a cup of osmanthus honey wine and celebrating the sweetness of the whole family has become a beautiful enjoyment of the festival. In modern times, people often use red wine instead.

Tree Mid Autumn Festival

In some parts of Guangdong, the Mid Autumn Festival has an interesting traditional custom called "tree Mid Autumn Festival". Trees are also erected, which means that the lights are erected high, so it is also called "erecting the Mid Autumn Festival". With the help of their parents, children use bamboo paper to make rabbit lamps, carambola lamps or square lamps, which are hung horizontally in a short pole, then erected on a high pole and held high. The colorful light shines, adding another scene to the Mid Autumn Festival. Children often compete with each other to see who stands tall and more upright, and the lights are the most exquisite. At night, the city is full of lights, such as stars, competing with the bright moon in the sky to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival.

Play lucky boy

"Shualuzi" is a very popular children's game in the past Mid Autumn Festival. It carves flowers with grapefruit shells and can hang lights in the middle. Children play in groups, or walk along the street with lights in the shape of animals, melons and fruits, While singing the "song of playing with Lu": "playing with Lu Zi, playing with Lu Er, light the light. Those who know Si Wen value Si Wen, and reading is the first in the world. Don't say that the article is useless. Gu Yun is worth thousands of gold, and there are noble people in his own books..." the children dispersed after having fun and went home to eat moon cakes and fruits.

Tie lanterns

In ancient times, in Guangdong, when the Mid Autumn Festival was approaching, children, with the help of their parents, tied bamboo paper into rabbit lights, carambola lights or square lights. In addition, many children will tie lanterns with fruit skins. In addition, there are papaya lamp, banana lamp, etc. the simplest is "pomelo peel lamp", which can be done by almost every child. In addition to the "tree Mid Autumn Festival", the lanterns are also used by lovers to snuggle up and enjoy the moon.

lanterns

Mid Autumn Festival, there are many game activities, the first is to play lanterns. The Mid Autumn Festival is one of the three major lantern festivals in China. We should play with lanterns during the festival. Of course, there is no large-scale lantern festival like the Lantern Festival in the Mid Autumn Festival. Playing with lights is mainly carried out between families and children. As early as the Northern Song Dynasty, the old stories of Wulin recorded the customs of the Mid Autumn Festival, and there were activities of drifting and playing with "a little red" lights in the river. Mid Autumn Festival Lantern playing, mostly concentrated in the south. For example, at the autumn festival in Foshan, there are all kinds of colored lights: Sesame lamp, eggshell lamp, shaving lamp, straw lamp, fish scale lamp, grain shell lamp, melon seed lamp and bird, animal, flower and tree lamp, which are amazing. In Nanning, Guangxi, in addition to paper and bamboo lanterns for children to play, there are also simple grapefruit lamps, pumpkin lamps and orange lamps. The so-called grapefruit lamp is to empty the grapefruit, carve a simple pattern, put on a rope and light a candle inside, which is light and elegant. Pumpkin lanterns and orange lanterns are also made by taking out the pulp. Although simple, it is easy to make and very popular. Some children float grapefruit lights into the pond and river for games. There is a simple household autumn lamp in Guangxi. It is made of six bamboo strips in circles, pasted with white gauze paper and inserted with candles. It is hung next to the moon sacrificial table for the moon, and can also be played by children. Nowadays, in many areas of Guangdong and Guangxi, lantern fairs are arranged on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, large modern lights illuminated by electric lights are tied, and all kinds of new lanterns made of plastic are for children to play, but they lack the simple beauty of old lights.

Burning bucket incense

We should burn Dou Xiang on the night of Mid Autumn Festival in Jiangsu. The incense bucket is surrounded by gauze and silk, painted with the scenery of the Moon Palace. There are also incense sticks woven with thread incense, with paper tied Kuixing and colored banners inserted on them. There is also the custom of burning incense and fighting among the people in Shanghai.

Worship ancestors

Mid Autumn Festival custom in Chaoshan area, Guangdong Province. On the afternoon of the Mid Autumn Festival, each hall will set up a platform to offer sacrifices, set up the main card of the ancestor god, and offer various offerings. After the sacrifice, cook the sacrifices one by one, and eat a rich dinner together.

Dancing Fire Dragon

Fire dragon dance is the most traditional custom of the Mid Autumn Festival in Hong Kong. From the evening of August 14 of the lunar calendar every year, the Tai Hang area of Causeway Bay holds a grand fire dragon dance for three nights in a row. The fire dragon is more than 70 meters long. It is tied into a 32 section dragon body with pearl grass and filled with longevity incense. On the night of the grand meeting, the streets and alleys in this area, winding and undulating fire dragons danced happily under the lights and dragon drum music, which was very lively.

Listen to incense

Listening to incense is a mid autumn festival custom spread in Taiwan in ancient times. In ancient times, young girls who wanted to get a spouse first burned incense in front of the gods at home, told their thoughts, and begged the gods to indicate the direction of listening to the incense. Then, according to the direction, they kept in mind the first sentence they overheard inadvertently or overheard on the road, and then threw bamboo shoots home to judge the good and bad luck of the divination. For example, bu Zhan's life is a big event, and the words he hears are eating cookies, blooming flowers and a full moon, which indicates good omens and a happy event is approaching.

Burning tower

The Mid Autumn Festival lantern is not the same as the Lantern Festival lantern. Pagoda lights are lit on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, and they are mainly popular in the south. Pagoda lamp is a lamp in the shape of a pagoda built by village children who pick up rubble. In the Qing Dynasty, villagers in Suzhou stacked tiles into seven pagodas in the wilderness. The middle was for the Tibetan king, and lights were lit around, which was called "tower lamp". Guangzhou children burn "Fanta lamp" with broken tiles; There is also a pomelo skin lamp, which carves all kinds of characters, flowers and plants with red pomelo skin, and a glass lamp is placed in the middle, with red light everywhere. In addition, the game of burning tile lanterns (or flower burning tower, tile burning tower and fan burning tower) is widely spread in the south, and has spread in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places. For example, in the fifth volume of the annals of all Chinese customs, in Jiangxi, "on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, children usually pick up tiles in the field and pile them into a round tower with holes. At dusk, they burn them in a firewood tower under the bright moon. When the tiles are red, they are sprinkled with kerosene to add fuel to the fire. Suddenly, the fields are red and shine like the day. Until late at night, no one is watching, they start to pour interest. It is known as burning tile lamps". The tile burning tower in Chaozhou, Guangdong Province is also a hollow tower made of bricks and tiles, filled with branches and set on fire. At the same time, it also burns smoke piles, which is to pile up grass and firewood and burn them after the end of the moon worship. This kind of activity is similar in Guangxi. Jinjiang, Fujian Province also has the activity of "burning pagodas".

Mid autumn festival feast custom

In ancient China, the Mid Autumn Festival banquet custom was the most refined and elegant in the court. For example, crabs were popular in the court of the Ming Dynasty. After the crabs are steamed in Pu Bao, people sit around and taste them, accompanied by wine and vinegar. After eating, drink Suye soup and wash your hands with it. The banquet table area is full of flowers, pomegranates and other seasonal delicacies to perform the mythical opera of the Mid Autumn Festival. Qinggong often puts a screen to the East in a certain hospital, with cockscomb, soybean technology, taro, peanut, radish and fresh lotus root on both sides of the screen. There is an eight immortals table in front of the screen, on which there is a huge moon cake, surrounded by cakes and fruits. After the Moon Festival, the moon cake is cut into several pieces according to the Royal population, and each person has a symbolic taste, which is called "eating reunion cake". The size of the moon cake in the Qing palace is unimaginable. For example, a moon cake awarded by the last emperor Puyi to Shaoying, the minister in charge of the interior, is "about two feet in diameter and about twenty kilograms in weight".

Play rabbit

Playing with rabbit is a popular Mid Autumn Festival custom in northern China. The mid autumn festival custom of playing with rabbit began around the end of the Ming Dynasty. During the Mid Autumn Festival in "old Beijing", in addition to eating moon cakes, there is also a custom for rabbit. "Rabbit son Ye" rabbit head, human body, armor, inserted back flag, or sit or stand, or pound pestle or ride an animal, with two big ears. At first, "rabbit" was used to worship the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival. In the Qing Dynasty, "rabbit" was gradually transformed into children's Mid Autumn Festival toys.

The remaining manuscript of huawang Pavilion by Ji Kun of the Ming Dynasty (who lived around 1636 years ago): "the Beijing Mid Autumn Festival is mostly in the shape of a rabbit made of mud, with clothes and clothes sitting in the shape of a man, and children worship it." In the Qing Dynasty, the function of rabbit has changed from offering sacrifices to the moon to children's Mid Autumn Festival toys. The rabbit is made of mud. The rabbit's head and body are dressed in armor, with a protective back flag, gold mud on his face, painted on his body, sitting or standing, pounding a pestle or riding an animal, with two big ears upright, solemn and harmonious. "Yanjing's age record": "every Mid Autumn Festival, the skillful people in the city knead the image of toad and rabbit with loess for sale, which is called the rabbit's son." The court of Qing Dynasty called the jade rabbit in the middle of the month the emperor of Taiyin. However, people in Beijing call it rabbit. In the folk customs around Beijing, the Mid Autumn Festival sacrifice to rabbit is not serious enough, but more than a game.

Local characteristics

There is a custom of worshipping the moon during the Mid Autumn Festival in Chaoshan, Guangdong Province, mainly women and children. There is a common saying that "men don't have the full moon, women don't sacrifice the stove". There is also a local habit of eating taro in the Mid Autumn Festival. There is a proverb in Chaoshan: "rivers and streams are opposite to each other, and taro babies eat it". In August, it is the harvest season of taro. Farmers are used to worshipping their ancestors with taro. Burning towers on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival is also very popular in some places.

The folk customs in Jiangnan area are also diverse during the Mid Autumn Festival. Nanjing people love to eat moon cakes in the Mid Autumn Festival. They must eat Jinling famous dish osmanthus duck. "Osmanthus duck" should be in the market when osmanthus fragrances. It is fat but not greasy. It tastes delicious. Women in the south of the Yangtze River are skillful in turning the chanting of things in poetry into delicacies on the table. Nanjing people enjoy the moon with their families, which is called "celebrating reunion", sit together and drink together, which is called "full moon", and go out to the streets and cities, which is called "walking the moon".

Douxiang should be burned on the mid autumn festival night in Wuxi County, Jiangsu Province. The incense bucket is surrounded by gauze and silk, painted with the scenery in the Moon Palace. There are also incense sticks woven with thread incense, with paper tied Kuixing and colored banners inserted on them. Shanghainese eat sweet scented osmanthus wine at the Mid Autumn Festival banquet.

On the evening of the Mid Autumn Festival in Ji'an County, Jiangxi Province, each village burns pots with straw. When the pot is red, put vinegar in it. Then there will be a fragrance floating all over the village. During the Mid Autumn Festival in Xincheng County, straw lanterns have been hung since the night of August 11 until August 17. On Wuyuan Mid Autumn Festival, children build a hollow Pagoda with bricks and tiles. The tower is hung with curtains, plaques and other decorations, and a table is set in front of the tower to display all kinds of utensils to respect the "tower God". At night, lights and candles are lit inside and outside. Jixi Mid Autumn Festival children play Mid Autumn Festival guns. The Mid Autumn Festival cannon is braided with straw, soaked and then picked up to hit the stone, making a loud noise and the custom of traveling fire dragons. The fire dragon is a dragon made of grass, with incense sticks on its body. During the tour of Huolong, there are gongs and drums. After traveling all over the villages, they will be sent to the river.

During the Mid Autumn Festival, Sichuan people not only eat moon cakes, but also beat cakes, kill ducks, eat hemp cakes, honey cakes and so on. In some places, orange lanterns are also lit and hung at the door to celebrate. Some children also put incense on grapefruit and dance along the street, which is called "dancing meteor incense ball". Jiading County's Mid Autumn Festival is called "watching the meeting" for offering sacrifices to the earth God, playing dramas, vocal music and cultural relics.

"Gambling cake" is a unique Mid Autumn Festival traditional activity in Southern Fujian for hundreds of years. It is thrown with six dice. The number of red four points of the dice determines the victory or defeat. It is named after scholars, Juren, Jinshi, Tanhua, the second place and the first place. This custom of folk tradition still has vitality in Taiwan, China.

Some places have also formed many special Mid Autumn Festival customs. In addition to enjoying the moon, offering sacrifices to the moon and eating moon cakes, there are fire dragon dance in Hong Kong, pagoda building in Anhui, tree Mid Autumn Festival in Guangzhou, burning pagodas in Jinjiang, watching the moon in Shihu, Suzhou, worshipping the moon by Dai, moon dance by Miao, stealing moon vegetables by Dong, and ball dance by Gaoshan, etc.

Landlords in Guanxian County, Laiyang, Guangrao and Youcheng in Shandong also entertained tenants during the Mid Autumn Festival. Jimo Mid Autumn Festival eats a festival food called "wheat arrow". Lu'an, Shanxi Province, entertained his son-in-law on the Mid Autumn Festival. On the mid autumn festival night in Xixiang County, Shaanxi Province, men go boating up the cliff and women arrange a good banquet. No matter rich or poor, they will eat watermelon. In the Mid Autumn Festival, a drummer blew drums along the door to ask for a reward.

ethnic flavor

Mongolian

Mongolian people love to play the game of "chasing the moon". People stepped on the horses and galloped on the grassland under the silver moonlight. They galloped westward, and the moon rose from the East and fell to the West. Persistent Mongolian riders "chase the moon" more than before the moon goes down to the West.

the zang or tibetan people

The custom of Tibetan compatriots in some areas of Tibet to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival is "looking for the moon". On that night, young men and women and dolls walked along the river, followed the bright moon reflected in the water, took all the moon shadows in the surrounding ponds, and then went home to have a reunion and eat moon cakes.

Guangxi Dong Nationality

The Dong Nationality in Guangxi has the custom of "walking on the moon". On the eve of the Mid Autumn Festival, the Lusheng song and dance teams of each mountain village walked all the way to the nearby mountain village in the moonlight. They gathered with the villagers there to enjoy the moon, sing and dance all night.

Yunnan De'ang Nationality

"Chuanyue" of De'ang Nationality in Yunnan Province. Young men and women of De'ang Nationality in Luxi, Yunnan Province, whenever the mid autumn moon is high and particularly bright, a melodious Hulu Sheng comes from time to time at the top of the mountain. Young men and women "string the moon" to talk about their feelings. Some also make an engagement by "stringing the moon" to send betel nuts and tea.

Yunnan Yi Nationality

The traditional custom of the Yi people in Yunnan for the Mid Autumn Festival is "jumping on the moon". At night, the men, women and children of all villages of the ethnic group gathered in the open area of the mountain village. The girls with gauze around their waist, the boys with cloth straps around their heads, as well as the old men, old women and young children sang and danced enthusiastically, especially the duels of young men and women expressing their love, as if the moon was moved by them, becoming more and more charming and bright.

Gelao nationality

On the "tiger day" before the festival, the Gelao people slaughtered a bull in the whole village and left the bull's heart to sacrifice Zuling and Yingxin Valley on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival. They call it the "August Festival".

the Korean nationality

Korean people use wooden poles and pine branches to build a "moon rack". When the moon rises, ask several elected old people to climb up the moon rack. After the old man looked at the moon, he lit the moon looking frame, played the long drum and played the Dongxiao, and danced the farmhouse music and dance together.

Zhuang Nationality in Western Guangxi

The activity of "offering sacrifices to the moon and inviting gods" of Zhuang Nationality in Western Guangxi is more typical. In the middle of August of the lunar calendar every year, some people set up a table in the open air at the end of the village to put sacrifices and incense burners. On the right side of the table, there is a branch or bamboo branch about one foot high, which symbolizes the tree. It is also used as a ladder for the moon god to descend to earth and heaven. Here, the ancient elements of the moon myth are preserved. The whole activity is divided into: invite the moon god to come down to earth, and one or two women will be the spokesperson of the moon god; God Man duet; Divination and fortune telling by the moon god; The singer sings the mantra song and sends the moon god back to heaven.

Li Nationality

Li people call the Mid Autumn Festival "August meeting" or "tune Sound Festival". At that time, song and dance gatherings will be held in each market town. Each village will be led by a "tune voice head" (i.e. team leader) to participate in, giving each other moon cakes, fragrant cakes, sweet cakes, flower scarves, colored fans and vests in groups. At night, they gathered by the fire, roasted game, drank rice wine and sang duets. Unmarried young people took the opportunity to find their future partners.

Foreign customs

Korean Peninsula

It is a day to sweep tombs and offer sacrifices to ancestors with newly harvested grain and fruit. Returning home to visit relatives and give gifts to relatives and friends is also the custom of the Mid Autumn Festival. Therefore, English also calls the Mid Autumn Festival on the Korean peninsula "Korean Thanksgiving"（

Vietnam

The Mid Autumn Festival is also a festival for Vietnamese children. That night, the children listened to the legend of Agui and went to see the lion dance. Some of them also got their father to buy him a lion for lion dance to play with their friends. Vietnamese children travel and play with carp lanterns on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, which also indicates the meaning of "jumping over the dragon's gate" when they grow up.

Japan

The traditional Mid Autumn Festival in Japan is called the 15th night, also known as the mid autumn moon and taro moon. The Japanese eat rice dumplings while enjoying the moon, which is called "seeing dumplings on the moon". As this period coincides with the harvest season of various crops, in order to express gratitude for the benefits of nature, the Japanese will hold various celebrations. The Japanese also enjoy the moon, which is called "seeing the moon". Moon dumplings, awn grass, taro, etc. will be displayed in the house.

Singapore

Singapore is a country with the vast majority of Chinese population, and has always attached great importance to the annual Mid Autumn Festival. For Chinese in Singapore, the Mid Autumn Festival is a god given opportunity to connect feelings and express gratitude. Relatives, friends and business partners present moon cakes to each other to express greetings and wishes.

Malaysia, Philippines

Eating moon cakes, appreciating the moon and carrying lanterns are the mid autumn festival customs handed down by Malaysian Chinese from generation to generation. With the Mid Autumn Festival approaching, time-honored businesses across Malaysia have launched all kinds of moon cakes. There are moon cake counters in major shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur, the capital. Moon cake advertisements in newspapers and television stations are overwhelming, creating a festive atmosphere for celebrating the Mid Autumn Festival. At present, Chinese communities in some parts of Kuala Lumpur have held lantern parades to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival. In addition to dragon and lion dances, floats carrying "Chang'e" and "seven fairies" roam during which artists and young people with bright costumes sing and dance.

The Mid Autumn Festival is a traditional festival that the overseas Chinese living in the Philippines attach great importance to. The Chinatown in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is bustling. Local overseas Chinese hold activities to celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival. The main commercial streets in the areas inhabited by overseas Chinese and ethnic Chinese are decorated with lanterns. Color banners are hung on the main intersections and small bridges entering Chinatown. Many shops sell all kinds of moon cakes made by themselves or imported from China. Mid Autumn Festival celebrations include dragon dance parade, national costume parade, lantern parade and float parade.

The Goddess Chang's fly to the moon

The myth of "Chang'e running to the moon" originated from the worship of stars since ancient times. The story of Chang'e running to the moon first appeared in Guizang. Later, folk stories were further developed and evolved into multiple story versions. Chang'e boarded the Moon Palace. According to Huainanzi in the Western Han Dynasty, it was because she secretly ate the immortal medicine that her husband Yi asked for from the queen mother of the west, so she flew into the Moon Palace and became a toad making medicine.

Wu Gang wins laurel

Wu Gang boarded the Moon Palace to win laurel. According to the novel Youyang Zazu of the Tang Dynasty, Wu Gang was punished for cutting laurel trees in the middle of the month because he made a mistake. The osmanthus grows with cutting and will never be cut down. Li Bai wrote in his poem "to Cui Sihu wenkun season": "if you want to make a living in the middle of the month, you should pay for the cold."

Jade rabbit tamping medicine

The rabbit went to the Moon Palace to make medicine. It was first seen in Qu Yuan's "Heaven asked" what is Jue Liwei, while Gu and Tu are in the abdomen. It means that Gu and Tu are in the belly of the moon. What's good for the moon? How did the rabbit get to the Moon Palace? Gu is a toad and Tu is a white rabbit. Fu Xuan of the Jin Dynasty also said, "what is there in the middle of the month? White rabbits make medicine." According to Mr. Wen Yiduo's research, this "white rabbit tampering" is changed from "toad tampering".

There is a jade rabbit beside Chang'e. It is said that Chang'e became lighter. When she began to take off, she picked up the white rabbit she had been feeding in fear. The white rabbit went to the moon with her. The jade rabbit has a pestle for pounding medicine in the Moon Palace. It pounds the elixir of immortality in the medicine mortar at night. After the myth spread to Japan, it became a Jade Rabbit pounding rice cakes.

Xuanzong story

It is said that Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, together with Shen Tianshi and Taoist Hongdu, looked at the moon during the Mid Autumn Festival. Suddenly, Xuanzong had the idea of visiting the Moon Palace, so the Tianshi did it. The three walked up the clouds and roamed the Moon Palace together. However, there are heavily guarded in front of the palace, so you can't enter it. You can only overlook Chang'an imperial city from outside. On this occasion, I suddenly heard the sound of immortals. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty had always been familiar with the melody, so he remembered it in his heart. This is exactly: "this song should only be in the sky, and the world can hear it several times!" In the future, Xuanzong recalled the music and singing of Xian'e in the Moon Palace, composed his own music and choreography, and created the famous song of neon clothes and feather clothes in history.

Moon cake Uprising

It is said that eating moon cakes on the mid autumn festival began in the Yuan Dynasty. It is said that at that time, the broad masses of the people in the Central Plains could not bear the cruel rule of the ruling class of the Yuan Dynasty and revolted against the Yuan Dynasty one after another. Zhu Yuanzhang United various resistance forces to prepare for the uprising. However, the officers and soldiers of the court searched very closely, and it was very difficult to convey information. Military division Liu Bowen came up with a plan and ordered his subordinates to hide the note of "August 15 night uprising" in the cake, and then sent people to send it separately to the local uprising troops to inform them to respond to the uprising on the evening of August 15. On the day of the uprising, all rebel forces responded together.

Soon, Xu Da captured Yuandadu and the uprising was successful. When the news came, Zhu Yuanzhang was so happy that he quickly sent an oral order to let all the officers and men have fun with the people in the upcoming Mid Autumn Festival, and rewarded the officials with "moon cakes" that secretly transmitted information when the army was launched that year as festival cakes. Since then, the production of "moon cakes" has become more and more refined and more varieties. After that, the custom of eating moon cakes on the Mid Autumn Festival spread among the people.

poetry

Xie Zhuang

"Yuefu"

Tang

Wang Jian

"Looking at the moon on the 15th night and sending it to doctor Du"

Liu Yuxi

"Playing the moon on the 15th night of August", "playing the moon in Taoyuan on the 15th night of August"

Bai Juyi

"Watching the moon in the pavilion on the night of August 15"

PI Rixiu

Guizi on the night of August 15 in Tianzhu Temple

Zhang Ruoxu

"Moonlight on the Spring River"

Li Shangyin

Chang'e

Li Bai

Gu Lang Yue Xing

zhang jiuling

"Looking at the moon"

Song Dynasty

Su Shi

"Shuidiagetou", "Mid Autumn Moon", "taichangyin", "see the moon and Ziyou in the Mid Autumn Festival"

Mi Fu

"Climbing the stairs to look at the moon in the Mid Autumn Festival"

Dai Shiping

Mid Autumn Festival

modern

Ai Qing

My missing is round

ballad

There are many ballads and nursery rhymes about the Mid Autumn Festival, such as "worship the moon mother", "chair child aunt", "Mid Autumn Festival worship the Moon Song", "worship the moon e", "family worship the moon", "mid autumn night", "Sister Moon", "moonlight light" and moon cake; Taiwan folk songs "Mid Autumn Festival travel thinking", "moonlit night homesickness", "suffering" and so on.

proverb

Ghost Festival on July 15, people's day on August 15 (Zhangjiakou)

August 10 may due south, melons, fruits and pomegranates full plate (Xingtai)

Men don't worship the moon, women don't sacrifice the stove (Shijiazhuang)

Eating disorderly moon cakes will kill your father-in-law (Jixian, Jixian custom: the new daughter-in-law will spend the Mid Autumn Festival in her mother-in-law's house for several consecutive years, even in her mother's house, otherwise she will eat disorderly moon cakes)

Return to Hong Kong in May to pick up dragon boats, harvest grain in June, burn paper Yulan festival in July, and make money to buy cakes and taste the Mid Autumn Festival (Maoming) in August

Winter is not full, summer is not full, and August 15 is full of food (Guangzhou, Mid Autumn Festival, rich fruit supply)

Those who stop living on August 15, the winter solstice festival and teaching (Shanxi, workers stop living on the Mid Autumn Festival and entertain teachers on the winter solstice)

To the Mid Autumn Festival, Sai Moqiu (Tujia, Western Hubei)

Touch autumn in August, picking grapefruit and holding melon is not stealing. (touch autumn: it is a custom that stealing and picking other people's Pastoral fruits on a moonlit night is not regarded as stealing. It is a popular letter that the mother who sends her son will go to earth on this day, so if she touches autumn, she can have children early.)

Allegorical sayings

The moon on August 15 - fair and bright

Eating moon cakes on August 15 -- a festival food

On August 15, a happy event will be held -- a reunion of people and months

Have a baby on August 15 - it's time for the festival

Sweet scented osmanthus on August 15

Eat rice cakes on August 15 - it's still early

Looking at lanterns on August 15 - more than half a year late

Chinese new year on August 15 - the solar term is missing

In 2008, the Chinese mainland began to make the Mid Autumn Festival a statutory holiday. If the day coincides with Saturday and Sunday, it will take a day off on Monday.

Mainland China

On November 25, 2020, the notice of the general office of the State Council on the arrangement of some holidays in 2021 was issued. The Mid Autumn Festival in 2021 will be off for three days from September 19 to 21. Work on Saturday, September 18.

On October 25, 2021, the notice of the general office of the State Council on the arrangement of some holidays in 2022 was issued. The Mid Autumn Festival in 2022 will be closed from September 10 to 12, a total of three days.

Taiwan, China

In Taiwan, the Mid Autumn Festival is a one-day holiday. If it overlaps with Saturday and Sunday, there will be no additional compensatory leave. However, if it is only one working day away from the weekly holiday, the working day will be changed to a holiday, and another Saturday will be chosen to make up classes.

Hong Kong, China

The Mid Autumn Festival in Hong Kong is a legal holiday on August 16 of the lunar calendar (the day after the Mid Autumn Festival). If there is a Sunday, make up one day off on Monday; If it happens on Saturday, there is no compensatory leave.

the republic of korea

South Korea lists the Mid Autumn Festival as a legal holiday for three days.