The origin of moon cakes (legend)

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. Mid-Autumn Festival is a relic of ancient celestial worship-the custom of worshipping the moon. At the autumnal equinox, it is an ancient "Moon Festival". Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival.

According to research, "Mid-Autumn Festival" was originally set on the day of "Autumn Equinox" in the 24 solar terms of the Ganzhi calendar. However, because the August day of the lunar calendar is different every year, there may not be a full moon. Later, the Mid-Autumn Festival moved from the autumnal equinox to the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar. Sacrificing to the moon is a very old custom in China. In fact, it is a ritual activity of the ancients in some places in ancient China to "Moon God".

Extended data:

Moon cakes symbolize reunion, which should have been recorded in writing since the Ming Dynasty. If we look at the information about moon cakes and Mid-Autumn Festival folk customs in the Ming Dynasty, we should be able to see the historical track of the reunion of moon cakes: after the Mid-Autumn Festival, the whole family will sit together and share moon cakes and fruits (offerings of the moon).

Because moon cakes are also round and shared by the whole family, it gradually forms the implication that moon cakes represent family reunion. In some parts of Guangdong, Yue Bai has the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival, mainly for women and children. As the saying goes, "men are dissatisfied with the moon, and women don't sacrifice stoves."

Among ethnic minorities, the custom of offering sacrifices to the moon is also very popular. The folk customs in the south of the Yangtze River are also varied during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition to eating moon cakes, Nanjing people must eat osmanthus duck, a famous dish of Dragon Dance Jinling. In Sichuan province, in addition to eating moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival, people also eat cakes, ducks, sesame cakes and honey cakes.

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