Mid Autumn Festival (Mid Autumn cake)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Mid Autumn Festival

Applicant: Xiamen City, Fujian Province

Project No.: 453

Project No.: X - 5

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Fujian Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Xiamen City, Fujian Province

Protection unit: Xiamen Mid Autumn Festival Folk Culture Research Association

Introduction to Mid Autumn Festival (Mid Autumn cake)

Applicant: Xiamen City, Fujian Province

The Mid Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar is also known as "moonlit", "Autumn Festival", "Mid Autumn Festival", "August Festival", "August meeting", "moon chasing Festival", "moon playing Festival", "moon worship Festival", "daughter's Day" and "reunion festival". It is a traditional cultural festival popular among many ethnic groups in China. Because the season is just half of the three autumn festival, it is named "Mid Autumn Festival". According to the general saying, the moon is the biggest, roundest and brightest on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival, so there has been the custom of drinking and enjoying the moon since ancient times. The daughter-in-law who returns to her mother's home must return to her husband's home this day for family reunion and peace. In Hong Kong, after the Mid Autumn Festival, we have to have another carnival on the 16th night, which is called "chasing the moon".

The Mid Autumn Festival is a continuation of the ancient custom of worshiping the moon. In the Zhou Dynasty, there were activities of "welcoming the cold on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival", "offering good fur on the night of the Mid Autumn Festival" and "worshiping the moon on the eve of the autumnal equinox"; in the Han Dynasty, there was a custom of worshiping the elderly and providing for the aged on the day of the Mid Autumn Festival or the beginning of the autumn festival; in the Jin Dynasty, there was a custom of enjoying the moon during the Mid Autumn Festival; in the Tang Dynasty, the gods such as the Mid Autumn Festival and Chang'e flying to the moon, Wu Gang cutting down GUI, Yutu pounding herbs In the Northern Song Dynasty, August 15 was designated as the Mid Autumn Festival, and related seasonal food appeared, "cakes such as chewing the moon, with crisp and Yi in them.". In the long-term development process, a series of activities have been held around the Mid Autumn Festival, including offering sacrifices to the moon, eating moon cakes, divination, sending melons and seeds, watching the moon, fighting crickets, playing with crickets, offering sacrifices to the earth's birthday, telling about the moon and the legends of Chang'e, jade rabbit and Wu Gang, etc. In these activities, the moon god horse, moon cake mold, rabbit master, cricket jar, cage and other equipment will be used.

The biggest feature of the Mid Autumn Festival is to place the hope of harmony between man and nature in the sky. Mid August is the harvest season of agriculture. Moon cakes and fruits are not only offerings to gods, but also specific symbols of harvest. The reunion of families on the night of full moon strengthens the family relationship. Therefore, the Mid Autumn Festival has become an important medium for social harmony.

The Mid Autumn Festival is an important festival of the Chinese nation next only to the Spring Festival. In today's era of continuous modernization of social life, although the related festival entertainment, diet and other activities are still active, but the traditional festival connotation is gradually weakening. It is necessary to continue and consolidate the national cultural connotation of the mid autumn festival through government advocacy and other ways, and re-establish the important role of this festival in social life Status.

The Mid Autumn Festival cake custom originated in Xiamen, Fujian Province, and prevailed in Longhai of Zhangzhou, Anhai of Quanzhou, and Jinmen county. It was recorded in the records of Taiwan government in KangQian period of Qing Dynasty. During the Mid Autumn Festival, Minnan and Taiwan will spontaneously hold Mid Autumn Festival cake making activities with families or associations as the unit. Participants will roll six dice in turn to win the six ranks of champion, eye of the table, flower exploration, Jinshi, Juren and scholar, and obtain moon cakes of different sizes according to the six ranks. The game rules of Bo Bing are simple and fair. It is full of suspense of competition and interest of life. It has always been loved by the general public. After the Opium War, Xiamen gradually became an important port city along the southeast coast of China, and the custom of making pancakes became more and more popular, from family games to games between relatives and friends and even social groups.

After the founding of the people's Republic of China, this custom gradually declined, and almost disappeared during the "Cultural Revolution". Since the reform and opening up, due to the extensive participation of the people, the Mid Autumn Festival cake custom has been revived in Xiamen and other areas, and has become an important activity for people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait to spend the Mid Autumn Festival together.

Chinese PinYin : Zhong Qiu Jie Zhong Qiu Bo Bing