In a blink of an eye, the annual Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived again. Do you know the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival? Let's learn about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and some customs and habits!
As one of the four major traditional festivals in China, the history of the Mid-Autumn Festival can be traced back to ancient times. It was originally an activity for the emperor, nobles, and literati to worship the moon during the autumnal equinox. As time went by, this custom gradually spread to the people and formed a fixed festival. The formal formation of the Mid-Autumn Festival was in the Tang Dynasty, popularized in the Han Dynasty, and prevailed after the Song Dynasty. In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Mid-Autumn Festival was as famous as the Spring Festival and became the second-largest traditional festival after the Spring Festival.
The name and date of the Mid-Autumn Festival have their specific meanings and origins. According to the Chinese calendar, the 15th day of the eighth lunar month is in the middle of autumn and is called "Mid-Autumn", and the 15th day of the eighth lunar month is half of autumn, so it is called "Mid-Autumn". In addition, the nicknames of the Mid-Autumn Festival also include "Moon Eve", "Autumn Festival", "Mid-Autumn Festival", "August Festival", etc. These names all reflect the close connection between the festival and the moon.
The core connotation of the Mid-Autumn Festival is reunion. This festival uses the roundness of the moon to symbolize the reunion of people, and expresses people's longing for their hometown and relatives, while also praying for a good harvest and happiness. Since ancient times, there have been folk activities such as worshiping the moon, appreciating the moon, eating moon cakes, playing with lanterns, appreciating osmanthus, and drinking osmanthus wine during the Mid-Autumn Festival. These activities not only enrich the content of the festival but also deepen people's expectations for reunion and happiness.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is not only a traditional festival, it also carries rich cultural connotations and myths and legends. Myths such as Chang'e flying to the moon and Wu Gang cutting down the osmanthus add a romantic color to the Mid-Autumn Festival. These stories are not only widely circulated among the people, but also become the source of inspiration for the creation of literati and poets, leaving behind many poems and articles related to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Finally, ESWIRES wish you all a happy Mid-Autumn Festival and a happy family!
