The custom of Mid-Autumn festival

The customs of Mid-Autumn Festival are:

1, Sacrifice to the Moon (Yue Bai)

Sacrificing the moon is a very old custom in China, and it is actually a worship activity of the ancients to the "Moon God". In ancient times, there was a custom of "autumn and dusk". The evening moon is the God of Yue Bai. Since ancient times, in some places in Guangdong, people have the custom of worshipping the moon god (mother moon and moonlight) on the night of Mid-Autumn Festival. In Yue Bai, a big incense table was set up, and the sacrifices included moon cakes, watermelons, apples, red dates, plums and grapes.

Under the moon, put the "Luna God" tablet in the direction of the moon, and the red candle burns high. The whole family took turns in Yue Bai to pray. Sacrificing the moon to admire the memory of the moon expresses people's good wishes. As one of the important ceremonies of Mid-Autumn Festival, offering sacrifices to the moon has continued from ancient times to the present, and gradually evolved into a folk activity to appreciate and praise the moon. At the same time, it has become the main form of modern people's longing for reunion and their desire for a better life.

Step 2 enjoy the moon

The custom of enjoying the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have become relaxed pleasures. The custom of enjoying the moon comes from offering sacrifices to the moon, and serious sacrifices have become relaxed pleasures. It is said that the moon is closest to the earth that night, and it is the largest, roundest and brightest, so there has been a custom of drinking and enjoying the moon since ancient times. The customs of ancient north and south are different, and the customs of different places are different. The written record of Mid-Autumn Festival activities appeared in Wei and Jin Dynasties, but it did not become a habit. In the Tang Dynasty, it was quite popular to enjoy and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many poets wrote poems about the moon in their masterpieces.

Step 3 observe the tides

In ancient times, Zhejiang Mid-Autumn Festival was another Mid-Autumn Festival activity besides watching the moon. The custom of watching tide in Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history, which is described in detail in Mei Cheng's Seven Mao Fu in Han Dynasty. After the Han Dynasty, Mid-Autumn tide watching became more popular. There are also records of watching the tide in Zhu Tinghuan's Ming Bu Wulin Past and Zi Mu's Meng Lianglu.