Introduction to the Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second largest traditional festival in my country after the Spring Festival. The festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. The name "Mid-Autumn Festival" is also called "Zhongqiu Festival"; because this festival falls in autumn and August, it is also called "Autumn Festival", "August Festival" and "August Meeting"; it also has beliefs and related beliefs about praying for reunion. It is a festival and customary activity, so it is also called "Reunion Festival" and "Daughter's 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 the "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 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".

With the continuous development of society, the ancients have given many legends to the moon, from the toad in the moon to the jade rabbit making medicine, from Wu Gang cutting laurel to Chang'e flying to the moon. Their rich imagination has painted a picture of the world of the moon palace. Various scenic spots. 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 feelings. 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 my 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 three major festivals of the Han people in my country (Spring Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival).

Legends of the Mid-Autumn Festival

Chang'e's Flight to the Moon

According to legend, one year in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, causing the earth to smoke and the sea water to dry up. , the people see that they can 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 accomplished extraordinary feats and was respected and loved by the people. Many people with lofty ideals came here 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 out for hunting. Peng Meng, who had evil intentions, pretended to be sick and stayed.

Soon 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.

Chang'e swallowed the medicine, and 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 about 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, placed 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.

The story of Chang'e flying to the moon praises 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 the image of E'e 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 every night." p>

Wu Gang's expedition to Guangxi

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 Guangxi. 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 his studies. Therefore, the Emperor of Heaven was angry and lived in the Moon Palace. He ordered him to cut down the laurel trees in the Moon Palace and said: "If you chop down the laurel trees, But every time Wu Gang chopped down the tree, the wound on the tree healed immediately. Day after day, Wu Gang's wish to cut down the osmanthus was still unfulfilled. Therefore, Wu Gang cut down the osmanthus in the Moon Palace all year round, but could not cut it down. Fall the tree. And he kept cutting 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.

The Jade Rabbit Enters the Moon Palace

Legend has it that a long time ago, there was a pair of rabbits who had 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 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 guarding the Tianmen next to him. 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. 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 world!" Later, Xuanzong recalled the music and singing of Xian'e in Yuegong, and composed and choreographed the music himself. This is the famous "Nitang Yuyi Song" in history.

The legend of moon cakes

Moon cakes 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.

It is said that at that time, the people of the Central Plains were unwilling to be ruled by the Mongols, and people with lofty ideals wanted to revolt against the Yuan Dynasty. However, they wanted to unite the forces of resistance, but they were unable to deliver the news, so Liu Bowen thought of a plan to spread the plague. There are rumors that people should buy mooncakes to eat during the Mid-Autumn Festival to avoid disaster. After everyone bought the mooncakes and went home, they cut them open and found a note inside that read "Uprising on August 15th." The people responded one after another and overthrew the Yuan Dynasty in one fell swoop. Moon cakes have therefore become a special food during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Mid-Autumn Festival Customs

Sacrificing 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.

Literati appreciating the moon

The custom of appreciating the moon originated from worshiping the moon, and the serious worship turned into a 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 and there were endless tourists enjoying the moon.

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 more 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.

"Burning pagodas"

In a few places, there is a custom of burning pagodas during the Mid-Autumn Festival. When night falls and the moonlight is everywhere, friends come to the open space in front of and behind the house. , pick up broken bricks and tiles, pile up small pagodas, and set up large pagodas in some large open spaces or squares, similar to the main pagoda. The pagoda is hollow and stuffed with firewood. This kind of activity is often carried out by adults with great interest. Come and participate. Especially some elderly people will set up a small offering table in front of the pagoda. On the table, they will place moon cakes, sweet lotus roots, oranges, grapefruits and other round offerings, and light incense and candles. When all the pagodas were piled up, someone shouted: "Light the fire——" Then they lit the firewood in the pagodas together, and the red flames rose and sparks exploded. After a while, the pagodas were burning red inside and outside. They were very spectacular and beautiful.

It is said 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.

Moonlight Horse

In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the image of the Moon God underwent important changes. From the early purely Taoist moon palace picture with Chang'e as the main theme, it evolved into the Moonlight Bodhisattva and the Moonlight Bodhisattva that blended Buddhism and Taoism. 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 "Yanjing Chronicles" (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 a medicine-making rabbit on the bottom. The figure is standing 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 short one is two or three feet. There are two flags on the top, made of red and green, fence or yellow, and are offered to the moon. Burn incense and perform a ritual. After the sacrifice, burn it together with thousands of pieces of ingots and ingots. "

Rabbit Master

The origin of Rabbit Master is around the end of Ming Dynasty. "The Remaining Manuscript of Kao Pavilion" written by Ming Dynasty Ji Kun (lived around 1636): "Beijing During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people often use mud to shape rabbits, and they sit in human-like clothes and hats, and children worship them. "By the Qing Dynasty, the function of Lord Rabbit had changed from offering sacrifices to the moon to being a Mid-Autumn Festival toy for children. The production has become increasingly sophisticated. Some are dressed as military commanders wearing armor and robes, and some have paper flags or umbrellas on their backs, or sit on them. Or standing. There are unicorns, tigers, leopards, etc., as well as vendors dressed as rabbit heads, or people sewing shoes, selling wontons, and tea soup.

"Every Mid-Autumn Festival, some ingenious people in the market make toad and rabbit images out of loess and sell them, which is called Lord Rabbit. "In the old days, there were often stalls of Lord Rabbit in the Dongsi Archway area of ??Beijing, specializing in selling Lord Rabbit for the Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition, incense candles were also sold in Nanzhi Store. This Lord Rabbit has been personified through the bold creation of folk artists. It is a rabbit. Later, some people imitated the characters of the opera and carved the Lord Rabbit into warriors with golden helmets, some riding lions, elephants and other beasts, some riding peacocks, cranes and other birds, especially the Lord Rabbit riding a tiger. Although it is a strange thing, it is a bold creation of folk artists. There is also a rabbit with movable elbow joints and chin, commonly known as "Bada Zui", which is even more lovable. Although it is an offering to worship the moon, it is actually a child.

On the streets of Beijing a few decades ago, people in Beijing who are over sixty years old can still remember that the rabbit stalls were set up on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. There are rabbit stalls everywhere in the archway, in front of the Drum Tower at the back door, Xidan, and Dongsi. They are large and small, high and low, and they are extremely lively.

Bake Cake

In Xiamen. There is also the custom of gambling in the area. Put 6 pieces into a big bowl, and according to the number of red ideas, there are 6 levels of prizes: first show, second move, fourth win, triple red, double score and top pick.

Moon worshiping customs of ethnic minorities

This custom of moon worshiping and moon worshiping 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 worshiping". Legend has it that the moon was transformed into the moon by the emperor's third son Yan Jian. Yan Jian was a brave and strong young man who led the Dai people to defeat the enemy and won the love of the Dai people. Later, after his unfortunate death, he became the moon. It rises to the sky and continues to emit soft moonlight, bringing light to the Dai people in the darkness. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, young men go up to the mountains early in the morning to shoot finches and pheasants, and the girls and wives are busy hunting for festive game. They went to the lake and pond to catch fish. They were all busy preparing the festival dinner. The old lady was busy pounding glutinous rice and making different sizes of food. There was a glutinous rice round cake on each corner of the table. Put a stick of cold incense. When the moon rises over the forest, the whole family starts to "worship the moon" and then fire gunpowder guns into the sky to show their respect for the hero Yan Jian. The young and old happily sit around the small square table, taste the food, talk and laugh, and enjoy the moon.

When the Oroqen people worship the moon, they put a basin of water in the open space and place the sacrifices. Kneel down in front of a basin and bow to the moon; the Tu people use a basin to hold clear water and put the reflection of the moon in the basin. Then, people keep hitting the moon in the basin with pebbles, commonly known as "beating the moon"; the Zhuang people in western Guangxi The activity of "Sacrificing the Moon and Inviting the Gods" 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 and incense burners. The tree on the right side of the table is about one foot tall. Chi branches or bamboo branches symbolize the social tree and are also used as ladders for the Moon God to descend to earth and ascend to heaven. The ancient moon myth elements are preserved here. The whole activity is divided into: inviting the Moon God to descend to earth, and one or two women serve as the Moon God. There are four stages: spokesperson; antiphonal singing between gods and men; fortune-telling by the moon god; singers singing songs to send the gods to heaven, and sending the moon gods back to heaven.

Round Mooncakes on August 15th

On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people eat mooncakes to show "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 Huns 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, "You should invite the moon cake to 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 the era when they were given the meaning of reunion was the Ming Dynasty. Liu Tong's "Scenery of the Imperial Capital" said: "On August 15th, when worshiping the moon, the fruit cakes must be round." Tian Rucheng said in "West Lake Tour Chronicles" : "August 15th is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, and people also use mooncakes as gifts to celebrate reunion." Shen Bang also described the grand occasion of making mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival in Beijing in the Ming Dynasty in "Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes": Everyone in the neighborhood "made mooncakes to look like each other." The cakes vary in size and are called moon cakes. In the market, the fruit is used as filling, and the name is strange. One cake is worth hundreds of dollars. "The ingenious cake-making workers make various tricks on the moon cakes," Peng Yunzhang said. "Youzhou Native Wind Yin" describes: "The moon palace talisman is painted as a jade rabbit on the kiln platform; the moon palace cake is made into a silver toad and a purple mansion shadow. A pair of toads and rabbits fill the world, regretting that Chang'e stole the medicine in the year; they ran into Guanghan and could not return. In the Qing Dynasty, eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a common custom, and the production 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 the 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.

Playing with lanterns and dancing with fire dragons

There are many games and activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the first of which is playing with lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three major lantern festivals in my country, and people 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 Southern 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 carried out 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 popular 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 with many holes. At dusk, they set up a firewood tower under the bright moon to burn them.

Once the tiles are red-hot, kerosene is poured on them to add fuel to the fire. In an instant, the surrounding fields are ablaze and shine like daylight. Until late at night, when no one is watching, people start to pour their breath, which is called burning tile lamps. The tile-burning pagodas in Chaozhou, Guangdong, also use bricks and tiles to build hollow towers, fill them with branches and burn them. At the same time, they also burn piles of smoke. It is to pile firewood into piles and burn them after the moon worship. The burning of fan pagodas in the border areas of Guangxi is also similar to this activity, but the folklore is to commemorate the famous anti-French general Liu Yongfu of the Qing Dynasty who escaped into the pagoda. The heroic battle to burn the French invaders to death is quite patriotic. There is also a "burning tower" activity in Jinjiang, Fujian.

The fire dragon dance is the most traditional feature of the Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival. Starting from the 14th night of the eighth lunar month every year, a grand fire dragon dance is held in Tai Hang area of ??Causeway Bay for three consecutive nights. This fire dragon is more than 70 meters long, with 32 segments made of pearl grass and filled with longevity. Fragrance. On the night of the festival, the streets and alleys of this district are filled with undulating fire dragons dancing happily under the lights and dragon drum music.

The origin of the Hong Kong Mid-Autumn Festival Fire Dragon Dance goes back a long time. Legend: A long time ago, a python appeared in Dakeng District after a storm, doing evil everywhere. The villagers went out to hunt for it and finally killed it. Unexpectedly, the python disappeared a few days later. Plague. At this time, the village elders suddenly received a dream from the Bodhisattva, saying that as long as they danced the fire dragon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the plague would be driven away. From then on, the fire dragon dance has been passed down to this day. p> 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 at the Tai Hang Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong. This is worth cherishing. Today, the fire dragon dance activity in Tai Hang District is quite large. In addition to the chief coach, coach, commander and conductor, more than 30,000 people from the safety team took turns dancing the dragon. Praying for Children

The Mid-Autumn Festival is full of poetry because of the wonderful moonlight. The moonlight is the best time for young men and women to sing and find their partners, so it is also a festival for young men and women to pursue love in the moonlight. People would sing, dance and play together to marry the person they like. In modern times, this ancient custom still exists and is full of fun.

In some areas of Fujian Province. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a custom of throwing handkerchiefs to attract brides. On this night, a colorful platform is set up in the square, decorated like a moon palace, with jade rabbits, osmanthus trees, etc., and some unmarried girls dress up as Chang'e, after singing and dancing. The girls throw some handkerchiefs embroidered with different colors to the audience. If the handkerchief received by the audience is the same color as the one in "Chang'e"'s hand, some unmarried young men will receive the award when they return the handkerchief. If "Chang'e" likes it, she can give her a ring. From then on, the two parties can make friends and get married.

Begging for the moon and climbing on the moon

In the old days, there were some women in Dongguan. It is believed that "the elder of the moon is a matchmaker". Anyone who has an adult man or woman in the family and has fallen in love with someone unintentionally can burn incense and candles under the moonlight at the third watch of the Mid-Autumn Festival and beg the elder of the moon to match them. Women are pregnant. In some areas, on the moonlit night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, some women who have been married for a long time and are infertile will go out to bathe in the moonlight, hoping to have a baby soon, which is called "zhao Yue".

Stealing vegetables to beg a man

In Taiwan, there is a custom of unmarried women "stealing vegetables to beg a man" on Mid-Autumn Festival night. A beautifully dressed woman walks under the moonlight and secretly picks green onions and vegetables from other people's vegetable gardens. Once she picks them secretly, it indicates that she will meet the right husband. Therefore, there is a proverb in Taiwan: "Steal onions, marry a good husband; steal vegetables, marry a good son-in-law."

Stealing moon vegetables by the Dong people

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival in Dong Township, Hunan, an interesting custom of "stealing moon vegetables" is popular.

According to legend, in ancient times, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fairies in the Moon Palace would descend to the lower world and spread nectar all over the world. The fairy's nectar is selfless, so people can enjoy the fruits and vegetables sprinkled with nectar together that night. The Dong family named this custom "stealing moon vegetables".

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Dong girls hold flower umbrellas and choose the gardens of their beloved children to pick vegetables without being regarded as "stealing". They even shouted loudly and intentionally: "Hey! I've ripped off your vegetables. Come to my house to eat oil tea!" It turned out that they were using the Fairy of the Moon Palace to pass on the red thread. If they can pick a melon with parallel stems, it means they will have a happy love. Therefore, beans growing in pairs became their picking targets.

The sisters-in-law also went to other gardens to "steal moon vegetables" that night. However, they hoped to pick the fattest melon or a handful of fresh and green edamame, because this symbolizes the child's fatness and hairiness. health (the homophone of edamame refers to children). Young men also have the custom of "stealing moon vegetables" because they also hope that the Moon Palace Fairy will give them happiness. However, they could only cook and eat it in the wild and could not take it home. "Stealing moon vegetables" adds infinite joy and magic to the Mid-Autumn Festival night in Dong Village.

Moon dancing of the Miao people

Every Mid-Autumn Festival night, the bright moonlight shines all over the Miao village. After the Miao men and women reunite with their families, they go to the clearings of the mountains and forests to sing and dance. Hold a "moon jump" event.

In the ancient legend of the Miao people, the moon is a loyal, honest, hard-working and brave young man. There was a young and beautiful girl named Shui Qing. She rejected ninety-nine young men from ninety-nine prefectures who proposed to her and fell deeply in love with the moon. In the end, she also experienced various hardships caused by the sun, and finally combined happily with the moon.

To commemorate their happy love, the Miao elders will bathe in the light of the moon and dance Miao songs and dances on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival for generations, and call this custom "moon dancing". . In the "moon dance", young men and women look for each other's sweethearts and express their love for each other, saying that they want to be as clear as the water and the moon, with a pure and bright heart, and a happy marriage forever.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, the custom of begging for a child is still popular in many places. This is the embodiment of ancient fertility worship. This is because the moon belongs to the yin and female gods, and at the same time there are activities of pursuing love, so the custom of seeking children is spread in the Mid-Autumn Festival customs. The customs of seeking children vary from place to place.

Stealing melons to pray for children

In Hengyang, Hunan, "On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a matter of giving melons away." If Xi Feng Lu Yuan's family has married a woman who has been infertile for several years, relatives and friends will send melons to them. A few days ago, a winter melon will be stolen from the vegetable garden. The owner of the garden must not know it, and the face will be painted with colors and clothes will be wrapped around it. If human form. Those who are blessed with longevity are held in their arms, "ring gold, fire cannons, and send them to their homes." The elders place winter melons on the bed, cover them, and recite the sun in the door. If you sow melons, you will get melons, and if you sow beans, you will get beans. The person who receives the melon will prepare a grand feast to entertain him, if it happens again. After the woman gets the melon, she cuts it open and eats it. According to popular legend, "In Hengyang, for every married family without children in the village, as long as they are popular, someone in the village will give them a child."

In other areas of Hunan, there is also the custom of giving melons to children, similar to Hengyang. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, when the owner is not at home admiring the moon, a good neighbor will secretly give children to him. The person giving away the child must already have children. They first selected Guayuan from the most evil family in the village, stole a big winter melon from the garden, drew a doll's face on the melon, and then inserted a five-inch long bamboo tube into the belly of the winter melon and followed the bamboo tube. Pour water into it until it is full. The giver hid the winter melon in the owner's bed, and when the owner returned to the room to sleep, he would pull the quilt with his hands. When the winter melon doll moved, water would flow out along the bamboo tube, just like a child who wets the bed. People who throw melons scold them when they get up early in the morning. It is said that the more fierce the scolding, the stronger the baby will be in the future. If a child is really born in the second year, the child will be asked to worship the person who gave the child as "godfather" or "godmother".

There is also a custom in Guizhou of stealing melons and giving away children. When stealing melons at night, they deliberately let the person who was stolen know about it in order to provoke angry curses. The more powerful the curses, the better. After the melon is stolen, it must be dressed in clothes and eyebrows, pretending to be the shape of a child, beating gongs and drums, and carrying it on a bamboo pole to a childless family. The person who accepts the melon must treat the person who gave it to a meal. Moon cakes, then sleep with the melon all night, and cook the melon and eat it the next morning, thinking that you can get pregnant from now on.

In the area of ??Shexian County, Anhui Province, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, adults let children enjoy other people's Japanese melons or Japanese yams with their mothers and children, and then put them dripping with mud and water into the quilts of newlyweds, making the mattress extremely wet. dirty. Use this method to express giving away a child. There is a poem that says: "It is a beautiful story to send a son to during the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is always suitable for a man to send melons and taro seeds. The innocent cherish the red silk quilt the most. It is shameful to drag water and mud."