What are the customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival?

Introduction to the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in my country. Together with the Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Qingming Festival, it is also known as the four traditional festivals of the Chinese Han people. According to historical records, ancient emperors worshiped the sun in spring and the moon in autumn on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which happened to be in the middle of autumn, hence the name "Mid-Autumn Festival". month, so it is also called the "Autumn Festival", "August Festival" and "August Meeting"; there are also beliefs and related festivals and activities to pray for reunion, so it is also called "Reunion Festival" and "Girls' Day". Because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival revolve around the "moon", it is also commonly known as the "Moon Festival", "Moon Eve", "Moon Chasing Festival", "Moon Playing Festival" and "Moon Worshiping Festival"; in the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also known as It is called "Duanzheng Month". Regarding the origins of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are roughly three types: it originated from the ancient worship of the moon, the custom of singing and dancing under the moon to find a partner, and the ancient custom of worshiping the earth god in the autumn reprint.

The Mid-Autumn Festival has been a national statutory holiday since 2008. The country attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, the festival was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year is the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival. This is the middle of autumn, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Chinese lunar calendar, a year is divided into four seasons, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and Ji. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called Zhongqiu. The moon on August 15th is rounder and brighter than the full moon in other months, so it is also called "Yuexi" and "August Festival". On this night, when people look up at the bright moon in the sky, they naturally look forward to family reunions. Wanderers who are far away from home also use this to express their longing for their hometown and relatives. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the "Reunion Festival".

Our people have had the custom of "autumn twilight and evening moon" in ancient times. On the eve of the moon, worship the moon god. By the Zhou Dynasty, every Mid-Autumn Festival night would be held to welcome the cold and worship the moon. Set up a large incense table and place moon cakes, watermelons, apples, dates, plums, grapes and other sacrifices. Moon cakes and watermelons are absolutely indispensable. The watermelon should also be cut into lotus shapes. Under the moon, the moon statue is placed in the direction of the moon, with red candles burning high. The whole family worships the moon in turn, and then the housewife cuts the reunion moon cakes. The person who cuts the food must calculate in advance how many people are in the family. Those who are at home and those who are out of town must be counted together. They cannot cut more or less, and the sizes must be the same.

According to legend, there was an ugly girl named Wu Yan from the ancient Qi State. She worshiped the moon devoutly when she was a child. When she grew up, she entered the palace with outstanding moral character, but she was not favored. On August 15th of a certain year, the emperor saw her under the moonlight while admiring the moon. He thought she was beautiful and outstanding, so he made her his queen. This is how the Mid-Autumn Festival came to worship the moon. In the middle of the moon, Chang'e is famous for her beauty, so the girl worships the moon and wishes that she "looks like Chang'e and has a face like the bright moon."

In the Tang Dynasty, admiring and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular. In the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. On the night of August 15th, people all over the city, rich and poor, old and young, wear adult clothes, burn incense and worship the moon, express their wishes and pray for the blessing of the moon god. In the Southern Song Dynasty, people gave each other mooncakes as gifts to symbolize reunion. In some places, there are activities such as dancing grass dragons and building pagodas. Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival have become more popular; many places have formed special customs such as burning incense, planting Mid-Autumn Festival trees, lighting tower lanterns, releasing sky lanterns, walking on the moon, and dancing fire dragons.

Today, the custom of playing under the moon is far less popular than in the past. However, it is still very popular to hold banquets to admire the moon. People drink wine to celebrate the wonderful life, or wish their relatives far away to be healthy and happy, and to "live thousands of miles away" with their families.

There are many Mid-Autumn Festival customs and different forms, but they all express people's infinite love for life and yearning for a better life.

Edit this paragraph about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival

The word "Mid-Autumn Festival" was first seen in "The Rites of Zhou". According to the ancient Chinese calendar, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month falls in mid-August of the autumn of the year, so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". There are four seasons in a year, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and Ji. The second month of the three autumns is called Zhongqiu, so the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called "Zhongqiu". In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there was a record of "ordering the minister to suppress the cattle confusion, and on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, the left and right people were incognito and flooded the river". It was not until the early Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. "Book of Tang·Taizong Ji" records the "Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th". The popularity of the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become as famous as New Year's Day and became one of the major festivals in our country. This is also the second largest traditional festival in our country after the Spring Festival.

With the continuous development of society, the ancients have given many legends to the moon, from toads in the middle of the moon to jade rabbits making medicine, from Wu Gang cutting laurels to Chang'e flying to the moon. Their rich imagination has painted a picture of the world of the moon palace. The mottled scenery. From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, poets and poets have chanted about the moon and the events in the middle of the moon. The full moon on August 15th has become an excellent time to express emotions. During the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, officials officially designated August 15th as the Mid-Autumn Festival, which was meant to be in the middle of the Three Autumn Festivals, when all people would celebrate together. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the bright moon is in the sky and the clear light fills the earth. People regard the full moon as a symbol of reunion, and August 15th as the day for the reunion of relatives. Therefore, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the "Reunion Festival".

The Mid-Autumn Festival has become a major festival of the year, and it has an extremely subtle relationship with the imperial examination. In our country's feudal society, opening up subjects to obtain scholars has always been a major event that the rulers attach great importance to. The three-year Autumn Palace Competition happens to be held in August. When the scenery and passion are combined, people will regard those who take the high school examination as those who win the title in the middle of the month.

Every Mid-Autumn Festival, grand celebrations must be held, which has become an important custom for the people of the whole society. It has remained popular through the dynasties. The Mid-Autumn Festival has gradually become one of the four major festivals in my country (Spring Festival, Tomb Sweeping Day, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival).

Edit this paragraph Mid-Autumn Legend

Chang'e's Flight to the Moon

According to legend, one year in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, which burned the earth to the point of smoke and the sea water. Withered, the people saw that they could no longer live.

This incident alarmed a hero named Hou Yi. He climbed to the top of the Kunlun Mountains, used his supernatural power, drew his magic bow, and shot down nine superfluous suns in one go.

Hou Yi made great contributions and was respected and loved by the people. Many people with lofty ideals came to study under him. The treacherous and evil-minded Peng Meng also sneaked in.

Soon, Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind-hearted wife named Chang'e. In addition to spreading his skills and hunting, Hou Yi stayed with his wife all day long. People envied this loving couple with talent and beauty.

One day, Hou Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and seek enlightenment. He happened to meet the Queen Mother who was passing by, and asked the Queen Mother for a package of elixir. It is said that if you take this medicine, you can immediately ascend to heaven and become an immortal.

However, Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife, so he had to temporarily give the elixir to Chang'e for collection. Chang'e hid the medicine in the treasure box on the dressing table, but Pengmeng saw it.

Three days later, Hou Yi led his disciples to go hunting. Peng Meng, who had evil intentions, pretended to be sick and stayed.

Shortly after Hou Yi led everyone away, Peng Meng broke into the backyard of the inner house with a sword and forced Chang'e to hand over the elixir.

Chang'e knew that she was no match for Peng Meng. In the critical moment, she made a prompt decision, turned around, opened the treasure box, took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp.

After Chang'e swallowed the medicine, her body immediately floated off the ground, rushed out of the window, and flew to the sky. Because Chang'e cared about her husband, she flew to the moon closest to the world and became an immortal.

In the evening, Hou Yi returned home, and the maids cried and told what happened during the day. Hou Yi was frightened and angry. He drew his sword and went to kill the villain, but Peng Meng had already escaped. Hou Yi was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet and screamed. The grief-stricken Hou Yi looked up at the night sky and called his beloved wife's name. At this time, he was surprised to find that today's moon was particularly bright and bright, and there was a swaying figure that looked like Chang'e.

Hou Yi hurriedly sent people to Chang'e's favorite back garden, set up an incense table, put her favorite sweetmeats and fresh fruits, and offered sacrifices to Chang'e who was attached to him in the moon palace.

After the people heard the news that Chang'e flew to the moon and became an immortal, they set up incense tables under the moon and prayed to the kind-hearted Chang'e for good luck and peace. From then on, the custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

This story of Chang'e flying to the moon sings and praises Chang'e with a distinctive attitude and brilliant colors. Compared with the records about Chang'e in ancient documents, it can be seen that people have done a lot of processing to the story of Chang'e flying to the moon. Modification makes Chang'e's image as beautiful as the moon and makes it in line with people's pursuit of beauty. Contrary to the widely circulated modern "Chang'e flying to the moon", "Lingxian" compiled by "Quan Shang Gu Wen" records the story of "Chang'e turning into a toad": "Chang'e, Yi's wife, stole the Queen Mother's immortal medicine and took it, and flew to the moon. The moon is about to pass, and Huang Zhanzhi says: "Ji, Pianpian returns to her sister, and will go west alone. Don't be frightened when the sky is dark, and she will be prosperous later." "Toad." After Chang'e turned into a toad, she was punished to pound the elixir all day long in the moon palace, and lived a lonely and miserable life. Li Shangyin once lamented Chang'e in a poem: "Chang'e should regret stealing the elixir, and the blue sea and blue sky make her heart happy every night." p>

Wu Gang Expedition of Gui

Looking up at the bright moon, you can see some dark shadows in it. It is said in our country that this is Wu Gang's expedition to Gui. In the Tang Dynasty, the myth of Wu Gang cutting down the osmanthus was interpreted. It is said that the laurel tree in the moon is as high as 500 feet. This osmanthus tree is not only tall, but also has a magical self-healing function. There was a man named Wu Minggang from Xihe who was a woodcutter. He was obsessed with immortality, but he always refused to concentrate on learning. Therefore, the Emperor of Heaven was angry and lived in the Moon Palace. He ordered him to cut down the laurel tree in the Moon Palace, and said: "If you chop down the laurel tree, "Whenever Wu Gang chops down a tree, the wound on the tree will heal immediately. Day after day, Wu Gang's wish to cut down the osmanthus has not been fulfilled. Therefore, Wu Gang has been cutting down the osmanthus in the Moon Palace all year round, but he has never been able to cut down the osmanthus. Fell the tree, and he keeps cutting it down.

Jade Rabbit Pounds Medicine

According to legend, three gods turned into three poor old men and asked for food from foxes, monkeys, and rabbits. Both foxes and monkeys had food to help them, but only The rabbit was helpless. Later, the rabbit said: "You can eat my meat!" He jumped into the fire and cooked himself. The gods were greatly moved and sent the rabbit to the moon palace, where he became the Jade Rabbit. Accompany Chang'e and prepare the elixir for her to descend to earth

The Jade Rabbit Enters the Moon Palace

Legend has it that a long time ago, a pair of rabbits practiced spiritual practice for thousands of years and became immortals. They have four lovely daughters, all of whom are pure white and smart.

One day, the Jade Emperor summoned the male rabbit to go to the Heavenly Palace. He reluctantly left his wife and children and went to the Heavenly Palace on the clouds. Just when it came to the Nantian Gate, it saw Taibai Jinxing leading the generals escorting Chang'e away. The Rabbit Fairy didn't know what happened, so he asked a god next to him who was guarding the Tianmen. After hearing what happened to her, the Rabbit Fairy felt that Chang'e had suffered innocently and sympathized with her.

But I have little power, so what can I do to help? Thinking of Chang'e being locked up in the moon palace alone, how lonely and sad it would be if she had someone to accompany her. Suddenly she thought of her four daughters, and she immediately ran home.

The Rabbit Fairy told the female rabbit what happened to Chang'e, and said that she wanted to send a child to keep Chang'e company. Although the female rabbit deeply sympathized with Chang'e, she was reluctant to part with her precious daughter. This was equivalent to cutting off the flesh of her heart! Several daughters were reluctant to leave their parents, and all of them burst into tears. The male rabbit said earnestly: "If I were locked up alone, would you be willing to accompany me? Chang'e was implicated in order to save the people. Can we not sympathize with her? My child, we can't just think of ourselves!"

The children understood their father’s intention and expressed their willingness to go. The male and female rabbits smiled with tears in their eyes. They decided to let their youngest daughter go.

The little Jade Rabbit bid farewell to his parents and sisters and went to live with Chang'e in the Moon Palace!

Xuanzong's Wandering in the Moon Palace

In the Tang Dynasty, the most legendary thing was the legend of Wandering in the Night Palace. It is said that Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Shen Tianshi and Taoist Hongdu were looking at the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Suddenly Xuanzong wanted to visit the Moon Palace, so the Heavenly Master did what he did. The three of them walked up the blue clouds together and roamed the Moon Palace. However, there was a heavy guard in front of the palace and they could not enter, so they could only stay outside. Overlooking the Imperial City of Chang'an, on this occasion, I suddenly heard bursts of fairy sounds, which were so beautiful, so beautiful, and so moving! Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty had always been familiar with music, so he memorized it in his heart. This is exactly what "this song should only be heard in heaven, and how many times can it be heard in the human world!" Later, Xuanzong recalled the music and singing of Xian'e in the Moon Palace, and composed and choreographed the music himself. This is the famous "Nancy Dress and Feather Clothes Song" in history.

The legends of mooncakes from various places

Mooncakes symbolize reunion and are a must-have sacrifice for worshiping the moon and the Lord of the Earth during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival was handed down from the late Yuan Dynasty.

At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Han people planned to rebel against the Mongolian rule, but they were unable to deliver the news. Later, Liu Bowen came up with a plan to spread rumors everywhere that there was a winter plague epidemic, which could be avoided unless every household bought mooncakes to eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival. People bought mooncakes and returned home, only to find a note hidden inside, which read: "On Mid-Autumn Night, kill the Tatars and welcome the rebels!" So people rose up in rebellion against the rulers, and this is how the custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival remained. .

Wuxi people usually eat braised rose sugar taro on the Mid-Autumn Festival morning, which is said to be related to this. According to legend, after the Mongols destroyed the Song Dynasty, the ethnic oppression was so severe that the Han people wanted to resist at all times. One year, everyone made an appointment to do it together on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. In order to get tired of winning, people eat braised taro, which symbolizes the head of the "Tatar" falling to the ground. This is the origin of eating sugared taro during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This legend has mutated in various places in Chaoshan: At that time, the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty stipulated that every Chao family must live with a Mongolian soldier, be supported by the Han people, monitor the actions of the Han people, and only allow three families to use it. A kitchen knife. The common people were so disgusted that they took advantage of the opportunity to eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival and put notes announcing the incident into the stuffing of mooncakes. The Chaozhou people believe that taro is homophonic to "beard head" and is shaped like a human head. Therefore, every Mid-Autumn Festival, taro is used to worship ancestors. This has been passed down through the generations and still exists today.

There is a custom of eating taro during the Mid-Autumn Festival in various parts of Guangdong. It is said to commemorate the historical story of the killing of Tatars in the late Yuan Dynasty. After the Tatars were killed during the Mid-Autumn Festival, their heads were sacrificed to the moon, and later they were replaced with taro. To this day, Cantonese people still call it "peeling ghost skin" when peeling taro skin.

Edit this paragraph Mid-Autumn Festival Customs

Worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival is a very ancient custom in our country. According to historical records, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, ancient emperors had the custom of worshiping the sun at the spring equinox, the earth at the summer solstice, the moon at the autumnal equinox, and the sky at the winter solstice. The places where they worship are called the Temple of the Sun, the Temple of the Earth, the Temple of the Moon, and the Temple of Heaven. It is divided into four directions: southeast, northwest and northwest. The Moon Altar in Beijing is where emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties worshiped the moon. "Book of Rites" records: "The emperor faces the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. When the sun rises and falls, the moon falls on the eve." The eclipse of the eclipse moon here refers to the worship of the moon at night. This custom was not only pursued by the court and upper-class nobles, but also gradually affected the people with the development of society.

Mid-Autumn Festival Banquet Customs

In ancient times, the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet customs of the Han people were the most elegant in the palace. For example, it was popular in the Ming Dynasty to eat crabs. After the crabs are steamed with cattail bags, everyone sits around and tastes them, served with wine and vinegar. After eating, drink Su Ye Decoction and wash your hands with it. During the banquet area, flowers, large pomegranates and other fresh food were placed, and mythological dramas of the Mid-Autumn Festival were performed. The Qing palace often placed a screen facing east in a certain courtyard, with cockscombs, edamame, taro, peanuts, radishes and fresh lotus roots placed on both sides of the screen. There is an Eight Immortals table in front of the screen, with an extra-large moon cake placed on it, surrounded by pastries and fruits. After the moon sacrifice is completed, the moon cakes are cut into several pieces according to the royal family's population, and each person takes a symbolic bite, which is called "eating reunion cakes." The mooncakes made in the Qing Dynasty are so huge that it is unimaginable. For example, the mooncake given by the last emperor Puyi to the Minister of Internal Affairs Shao Ying was "about two feet in diameter and weighing about twenty kilograms."

Literati appreciate the moon

The custom of appreciating the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have turned into relaxed entertainment. Folk activities of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but have not yet become a custom. In the Tang Dynasty, admiring and playing with the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival was quite popular, and many poets included verses praising the moon in their famous works. By the Song Dynasty, a Mid-Autumn folk festival centered on moon-viewing activities was formed, which was officially designated as the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Different from the people in the Tang Dynasty, people in the Song Dynasty were more sentimental about the moon when appreciating the moon. They often used the waxing and waning of clouds and clear moons to describe human emotions. Even on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the clear light of the moon could not hide the sadness of the Song people. But for people in the Song Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival has another form, that is, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival of secular joy: "Before the Mid-Autumn Festival, all shops sell new wine, noble families decorate their terraces and pavilions, and private families compete in restaurants to play in the moonlight and play music. Hearings from thousands of miles away, playing and sitting until dawn" ("Tokyo Menghua Lu"). The Mid-Autumn Festival in the Song Dynasty was a sleepless night. The night market was open all night long and there were endless tourists enjoying the moonlight.

Folk Worshiping the Moon

After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, due to the relationship of the times, the practical utilitarian factors in social life became prominent, and the secular interest in festivals became more and more intense every year. "The lyrical and mythological literati tradition centered on it has weakened, and utilitarian worship, prayer, and secular emotions and wishes constitute the main form of the Mid-Autumn Festival customs of ordinary people. Therefore, "folk worshiping the moon" has become a symbol of people's desire for reunion, happiness and happiness; they use the moon to express their feelings.

Moonlight Horse

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the image of the Moon God underwent important changes. From the early purely Taoist picture of the Moon Palace with Chang'e as the main theme, it evolved into a Buddhist and Taoist blend of the Moonlight Bodhisattva and the Moon Goddess. The secular image of the Jade Rabbit and the Jade Rabbit. During this period, people worshiped moonlight paper with the Moonlight Bodhisattva painted on it, also called "Moonlight Horse". Fucha Dunchong's "The Years of Yanjing" (1906). Records: "The moonlight horse is made of paper, with the lunar star king like a Bodhisattva on the top, and the moon palace and the rabbit pounding medicine on the bottom. The figure is standing upright and holding a pestle. The algae color is exquisite and resplendent. It is sold in many shops. The longer one is seven or eight feet, the shorter one is two or three feet. There are two flags on the top, made of red, green, or yellow. They burn incense and offer sacrifices to the moon. After the sacrifice, they are burned together with thousands of pieces of gold ingots. " < /p>

Rabbit Lord

The origin of Rabbit Lord dates back to the late Ming Dynasty. Ji Kun of the Ming Dynasty (lived around 1636) wrote in "The Remaining Manuscript of Kao Pavilion": "On the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing, people often wear rabbit shapes with mud, wearing clothes and hats, sitting like people, and children worshiping them." By the Qing Dynasty. , the function of Lord Rabbit has been transformed from offering sacrifices to the moon to being a Mid-Autumn Festival toy for children. The production is also becoming more and more sophisticated. Some are dressed as military commanders wearing armor and robes, some have paper flags or umbrellas on their backs, and some are sitting or standing. Sitting there are unicorns, tigers, leopards and so on. There are also vendors dressed as rabbit heads, some are head-shaving masters, some are sewing shoes, selling wontons, tea soup, and so on.

"Every Mid-Autumn Festival, some clever people in the city would use loess to make statues of toads and rabbits for sale, and they were called Lord Rabbits." In the old days, there were often stalls of Lord Rabbits in the East Fourth Archway area of ??Beijing, specializing in the sale of toads and rabbits to worship the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Use Lord Rabbit. In addition, Nanzhi Store also sells incense candles. This Lord Rabbit has been personified through the bold creation of folk artists. It has the body of a rabbit and holds a jade pestle. Later, some people imitated opera characters and carved Lord Rabbit into warriors with golden helmets, some riding lions, elephants and other beasts, and some riding peacocks, cranes and other birds. In particular, the rabbit riding a tiger is a strange thing, but it is a bold creation of folk artists. There is also a kind of rabbit with movable elbow joints and chin, commonly known as "Bada Zui", which is more lovable. Although it is an offering for worshiping the moon, it is actually a wonderful toy for children.

Even Beijingers over sixty years old can still remember the streets of Beijing decades ago. As soon as July 15th passes, the Rabbit Master stall is set up. The Five Archways at the front door, in front of the Drum Tower at the back door, Xidan, Dongsi and other places are full of rabbit stalls, large and small, high and low, and they are extremely lively.

Playing with lanterns

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are many games and activities. The first is playing with lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three major lantern festivals in my country, and you have to play with lanterns during the festival. Of course, there is no large-scale lantern festival like the Lantern Festival during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Playing with lanterns is mainly done among families and children.

As early as the Northern Song Dynasty, "Old Martial Arts" recorded the Mid-Autumn Festival customs of "putting a "little red" lantern into the river to float and play." People who play with lanterns during the Mid-Autumn Festival are mostly concentrated in the south. For example, at the Foshan Autumn Color Fair mentioned above, there are various kinds of lanterns: sesame lanterns, eggshell lanterns, wood shaving lanterns, straw lanterns, fish scale lanterns, chaff lanterns, melon seed lanterns, bird and animal flower tree lanterns, etc. People admire.

In Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other places, Mid-Autumn Festival activities are held on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the trees are also erected, which means that the lights are put up high. With the help of their parents, children tie up rabbit lanterns, carambola lanterns or square lanterns with bamboo paper, hang them horizontally on short poles, and then erect them on high poles. When they are skilled, the colorful lights shine, adding to the Mid-Autumn Festival. A scene. Children often compete with each other to see who can erect taller, more lanterns and the most exquisite lights. There are also sky lanterns, that is, Kongming lanterns, which are made into large-shaped lanterns with paper. Candles are burned under the lanterns, and the heat rises, causing the lanterns to fly in the air, attracting people to laugh and chase them. In addition, there are various lanterns carried by children to enjoy under the moonlight.

In Nanning, Guangxi, in addition to making various lanterns tied with paper and bamboo for children to play with, there are also very simple sleeve lanterns, pumpkin lanterns, and orange lanterns. The so-called grapefruit lamp is made by hollowing out the grapefruit to create a simple pattern, putting it on a rope and lighting a candle inside. The light is elegant. Pumpkin lanterns and orange lanterns are also made by removing the flesh. Although simple, it is easy to make and very popular. Some children even float the oil lamps into the pond and river as a game.

Guangxi has a simple household autumn lantern, which is made of six circles of bamboo strips tied into a lantern, with white gauze paper on the outside and candles inserted inside. Hang it next to the moon festival table to worship the moon, and it can also be played by children.

Nowadays, many areas in Guangxi and Guangdong arrange lantern festivals on the Mid-Autumn Festival night. Large modern lanterns illuminated by electric lights are made, as well as various new lanterns made of plastic for children to play with. However, there are few A simple beauty of old-time lanterns.

In addition, the game of burning tile lanterns (or burning flower towers, burning tile towers, burning fan towers) is also widely spread in the south, and is spread in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places. For example, Volume 5 of "China National Customs" records: Jiangxi "On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, ordinary children pick up tiles in the wild and pile them into a round tower shape with many holes. At dusk, they burn them in a tower of firewood under the bright moon. Once the tiles are red-hot , and then pour kerosene on the fire to add fuel to the fire, and suddenly the surrounding areas are as red as daylight. Until late at night, no one is watching, and then the fire is poured. This is called burning a tile lamp. The tile-burning pagoda in Chaozhou, Guangdong is also a hollow pagoda built with bricks and tiles, filled with branches and set on fire. At the same time, smoke piles are also burned, which is to pile firewood into piles and burn them after the moon worship. The burning of Fan Pagoda in the Guangxi border area is similar to this kind of activity, but the folklore is to commemorate the heroic battle of Liu Yongfu, a famous anti-French general in the Qing Dynasty, who burned the Fan ghosts (French invaders) who escaped into the tower. It is quite popular. Patriotic thoughts. There is also a "tazai burning" activity in Jinjiang, Fujian.

Legend has it that this custom is related to the righteous act of resisting Yuan soldiers. After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, it carried out bloody rule over the Han people, so the Han people resisted unyieldingly. Various places organized riots on the Mid-Autumn Festival and lit fires on the top of the pagoda as a sign. Similar to the Fenghuotai lighting uprising, although this kind of resistance was suppressed, the custom of burning pagodas remained. This legend is similar to the legend of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Fire Dragon Dance

Fire dragon dance is the most traditional custom of Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival. Starting from the 14th night of the eighth lunar month every year, a grand fire dragon dance event is held in the Tai Hang area of ??Causeway Bay for three consecutive nights. This fire dragon is more than 70 meters long, with a 32-section dragon body made of pearl grass and filled with longevity incense. On the night of the grand event, the streets and alleys of this district were filled with undulating fire dragons dancing joyfully under the lights and dragon drum music, making it very lively.

There is also a legend about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Fire Dragon Dance in Hong Kong: a long time ago, after a typhoon hit Tai Hang District, a python appeared and did evil everywhere. The villagers went out to hunt it down and finally killed it. . Unexpectedly, the python disappeared the next day. A few days later, a plague broke out in Dakeng. At this time, the elders in the village suddenly received a dream from the Bodhisattva, saying that as long as they danced the fire dragon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the plague could be driven away. As luck would have it, this move actually worked. Since then, the fire dragon dance has been passed down to this day.

No matter how much superstition there is in this legend, China is the homeland of dragons. The fire dragon dance has a history of more than 100 years during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Tai Hang, Hong Kong. This is worth cherishing. Nowadays, the fire dragon dance activity in Tai Hang District is quite large-scale. In addition to the head coach, coach, chief conductor and conductor, the safety team and so on. More than 30,000 people take turns dancing the dragon.

The custom of worshiping and worshiping the moon is also popular among ethnic minorities. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Dai people of Yunnan have a popular custom of "moon worship". According to Dai legend, the moon was transformed by Yan Jian, the third son of the emperor. Yanjian is a brave and strong young man. He once led the Dai people to defeat the enemy and won the love of the Dai folks. Later, after his unfortunate death, he turned into the moon and rose into the sky, continuing to emit soft moonlight and bring light to the Dai people in the darkness. Every Mid-Autumn Festival, young men take their gunpowder guns and go up the mountain to shoot finches and pheasants early in the morning to hunt for festive game. Girls and wives are busy catching fish in lakes and ponds. They were all busy preparing the festive dinner. The old lady was busy pounding glutinous rice and making food of different sizes. She placed a round glutinous rice cake on each of the four table corners, and put a stick of cold incense on each cake. As soon as the moon rises over the mountains and forests, cold incense is lit, and the whole family begins to "worship the moon." Then, gunpowder guns are fired into the air to show respect for the hero Yanjian. Finally, the whole family sat happily around the small square table, tasting food, talking and laughing, admiring the moon, and then left happily.

When the Oroqen people worship the moon, they put a basin of water in the open space, place offerings, then kneel in front of the basin and bow to the moon; Then, people kept hitting the moon in the basin with pebbles, which is commonly known as "beating the moon".

The "Moon Sacrifice and Invitation to Gods" activity of the Zhuang people in western Guangxi is more typical. Every year in the middle of August of the lunar calendar, sometimes on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people set up a table in the open air at the head of the village to place sacrifices. Along with the incense burner, there is a tree branch or bamboo branch about one foot high on the right side of the table, which symbolizes the social tree and also serves as the ladder for the moon god to descend to earth and ascend to heaven. The elements of the ancient moon myth are preserved here. The entire activity is divided into four stages: inviting the Moon God to come down to earth, with one or two women acting as the Moon God's spokesperson; antiphonal singing between gods and men; fortune-telling by the Moon God; and singers singing songs to send the Moon God back to heaven.

The Mongolian people "chasing the moon". On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Mongolian people love to play the game of "Chasing the Moon". People mounted their horses and galloped on the grassland under the silver moonlight. They galloped toward the west, and the moon rose in the east and set in the west. The persistent Mongolian rider will not stop "chasing the moon" until the moon sets in the west.

The Tibetan "Looking for the Moon". The custom of Tibetan compatriots in some areas of Tibet to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival is to "seek the moon". That night, young men and women and children walked along the river, followed the bright moon reflected in the water, and reflected the moon shadow in the surrounding river ponds, and then went home to reunite and eat moon cakes.

The Hezhe people "sacrifice the moon."

In the Hezhe ethnic minority settlements in northeastern my country, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, people gather grapes and worship the moon. According to legend, it is to commemorate a smart and hard-working daughter-in-law of the Hezhe ethnic group. She couldn't stand her mother-in-law's abuse and ran to the river to ask the moon for help. Finally I ran to the moon.

The De'ang people "cross the moon". The young men and women of the De'ang ethnic group in Luxi, Yunnan Province, during the Mid-Autumn Festival when the moon is high and extremely bright, from time to time there is a melodious and melodious sound of gourd and sheng playing at the top of the mountain. The young men and women "string the moon" together to express their true feelings. Some people also make engagements by sending banquets and tea through "Moon Moon".

The Axi people "jump to the moon". The traditional custom of the Axi people during the Mid-Autumn Festival is to "dance over the moon". On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people from various villages gathered in the open space in the mountain village. Girls in veils danced, and young men with big sanxian on their shoulders danced. However, what is particularly sultry is the antiphonal song in which young men and women express their love, as if the moon is also moved by it.

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Miao people bathe in the moonlight, play the melodious Lusheng, and dance Miao songs and dances. Young people look for each other in the "Moon Festival" activity The people you love should express their love for each other like the moon and clear water, with pure and bright hearts, and a lasting friendship that lasts for a hundred years.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people eat moon cakes to express "reunion." Moon cakes, also called Hu cakes, palace cakes, moon cakes, harvest cakes, reunion cakes, etc., were offerings to worship the moon god during the Mid-Autumn Festival in ancient times.

According to historical records, as early as the Yin and Zhou Dynasties 3,000 years ago, people had already made "Taishi Cake, thin in edge and thick in heart" to commemorate Taishi Wen Zhong. In the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian was sent to the Western Regions and introduced walnuts, sesame seeds, etc., and round "Hu cakes" with walnut kernels as fillings appeared. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing went to conquer the Turks and returned in triumph during the Mid-Autumn Festival. At that time, a Tibetan businessman offered Hu cakes. Li Yuan was very happy to receive the cake. He pointed at the bright moon in the sky and said, "The cake should be given to the toad (the moon)." Then he gave it to the ministers to eat. If this is true, this may be the beginning of the sharing of mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival. But the word "mooncake" was first seen in the red caltrop cake of Wu Zimu in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Moon cakes are round and are given the meaning of reunion in the Ming Dynasty. Liu Tong's "Scenery of the Imperial Capital" says: "On August 15th, when worshiping the moon, the fruit cake must be round." Tian Rucheng "West Lake Tour Chronicles" said: "August 15th is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people also use moon cakes as gifts to take the meaning of reunion." Shen Bang also recorded the grand occasion of making moon cakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing in the Ming Dynasty in "Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes": Villagers all "make mooncakes for each other, varying in size, and call them mooncakes. In the shops, fruit is used as filling, and the name is strange. One cake is worth hundreds of dollars." The ingenious cake-making workers made surprising innovations, and the mooncakes were made with There are various tricks. Peng Yunzhang's "Yin of Youzhou Native Wind" describes: "The moon palace talisman is painted as a jade rabbit on the kiln terrace; the moon palace cake is made into a silver toad and purple mansion shadow. A pair of toads and rabbits fill the world, regretting that Chang'e stole the medicine. "I rushed to Guanghan but could not return, and the jade pestle stayed in Danyan in vain."

In the Qing Dynasty, eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a common custom, and the making skills are getting higher and higher. Yuan Mei, a native of the Qing Dynasty, introduced in "Suiyuan Food List": "Puff-skin mooncakes are stuffed with pine nuts, walnut kernels, melon seeds, rock sugar, and lard. They taste sweet, fragrant, pine, and greasy, which is very unusual." Beijing's mooncakes The one made by Qianmen Zhimizhai is the first. Throughout the country, five flavor series have been formed, namely Beijing, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Guangzhou and Chaozhou. Many local folk customs have also emerged around worshiping and appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, such as the "Bu Zhuangyuan" in Jiangnan: cutting the moon cakes into large, medium and small pieces. The blocks are stacked together, and the largest one is placed at the bottom, which is the "number one"; the medium one is placed in the middle, and it is the "second place"; and the smallest one is on top, which is the "third flower". Then the whole family rolls dice, and whoever has the most numbers will be the number one winner and eat a big chunk; the number two and the third overall pick will be the top pick in turn, and they have fun playing the game.

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The Mid-Autumn Festival is full of poetry because of the wonderful moonlight. Under the moon is the best time for young men and women to sing and find their partners, so it is also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a festival for pursuing love. Young men and women sing, dance and play under the moonlight, and they can become spouses when they meet the person they like. In modern times, this kind of ancient custom still exists and is full of interest.