China News Service, Beijing, September 10th (Reporter Shangguan Yun) Eating moon cakes, praying for the moon, and enjoying a bright moon with relatives and friends... Regarding the Mid-Autumn Festival, everyone has their own good memories.

　　It is worth noting that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival and Teachers' Day appear on September 10 at the same time.

Earlier, according to media reports, experts in astronomy science said that the two festivals appeared on the same day. This kind of "coincidence" has only happened three times this century, which is really rare.

　　According to Zheng Yan, an associate researcher at the Institute of Culture of Shandong Academy of Social Sciences, the main meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival is to celebrate the harvest, family reunion, and the promotion of interpersonal communication.

What is unknown is that it is also a romantic festival.

Data map: On the Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the full moon and modern buildings in Beijing contrast with each other.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Sheng Jiapeng

　　There are also many delicacies to taste during the Mid-Autumn Festival: moon cakes, also known as "reunion cakes", are a symbol of the bright moon and reunion, and there are also some seasonal melons and fruits, which are also popular among people.

How did the Mid-Autumn Festival come about?

　　The origin of traditional festivals often stems from people's living needs.

Zheng Yan said that at present, scholars have various opinions on the origin and formation of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

　　To sum up, the Mid-Autumn Festival is related to people's continuous focus on the moon in the old days, and this focus on the moon comes from the needs of human survival.

　　The custom of offering sacrifices to the moon and worshiping the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival is related to the autumn worship, that is, the autumn grains are ripe to report the harvest to the god of the land, and the activities of worshiping the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival are the legacy of the autumn report; related to the request.

What does it have to do with the autumn equinox?

　　The Mid-Autumn Festival is an autumn festival, and many customs are closely related to the seasonal life in autumn, especially the autumn equinox.

　　The autumnal equinox is a very important time in a year's agricultural activities.

From a historical point of view, the autumn equinox, which assumed the function of "autumn newspaper", used to be a traditional festival to worship the moon.

Data map: On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the full moon in Fuzhou is photographed in the sky.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Wang Dongming

　　Zheng Yan said that as early as the Zhou Dynasty, there were the customs of offering sacrifices to the sun on the spring equinox, the summer solstice to the ground, the autumn equinox to sacrifice to the moon, and the winter solstice to sacrifice to the sky.

　　However, it is generally believed that a relatively full moon will be expected when offering sacrifices to the moon, and the date of the autumnal equinox is different every year, and there may not be a full moon, so the time of offering the moon is gradually fixed on August 15th.

When is this holiday determined?

　　Zheng Yan said that roughly speaking, in ancient times, the spring and autumn equinoxes in February and August greeted the heat and cold, so sacrificing to the sun and the moon became a long-standing etiquette for the year.

　　Since the Sui and Tang dynasties, it has become a fashion for literati to appreciate the moon and play with the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the Song Dynasty, the custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival centered on viewing the moon was formed, and the Mid-Autumn Festival became a festival of secular joy.

　　After the Ming and Qing dynasties, the literati fashion centered on admiring the moon weakened, and the utilitarian aspirations and secular emotions of ordinary people became the center. The Mid-Autumn Festival also became an important node in people's time and life.

How romantic is the Mid-Autumn Festival?

　　The Mid-Autumn Festival is a very romantic festival.

　　Zheng Yan said that in traditional Chinese culture, the moon has always been a symbol of light and gentleness.

On a quiet autumn night, standing looking at the moon and having a dialogue with the moon, this harmony between man and nature is the unique romance of Chinese people.

Data map: The big moon cakes are colorful.

Photo by Wang Zhongju

　　The bright starry and moonlit night is full of love and leisure, and the writing style or mutual harmony can add to the taste of the Mid-autumn night. For example, Li Bai sings and dances with the moon, with the moon, good wine, and talent. Beautiful scenery.

Are these legends related to the Mid-Autumn Festival?

　　In fact, the legends and stories about the moon also have many wonderful colors, such as the custom of worshiping the moon, which is said to originate from the story that the moonlight can be used as a "beautiful mirror".

　　In addition, there is a saying that Chang'e in the moon is famous for her beauty, so girls worship the moon and wish to "look like Chang'e, with a face like the bright moon".

The story is beautiful, and so is the wish.

What is the story of moon cakes?

　　Moon cakes, also known as "reunion cakes", are a symbol of the bright moon and reunion.

　　According to scholars' research, moon cakes were produced in the Ming Dynasty.

Zheng Yan explained that although "moon cakes" were mentioned in the documents of the Song Dynasty, they were not unique to the Mid-Autumn Festival until the Ming Dynasty documents appeared a lot of records about the Mid-Autumn Festival.

　　For example, according to Shen Bang's "Wanshu Miscellaneous Notes • Folk Customs", it is recorded in the article "Moon Cakes in August" that in the Ming Dynasty, no matter the gentry, officials, or the common people, they had to give each other noodle cakes in August. The cakes vary in size and are called moon cakes.

Data map: Freshly baked moon cakes are fragrant and mouthwatering.

Photo by Wang Haoyang

　　Moreover, the moon cakes in the market stores are filled with nuts and preserved fruits. They have various shapes, and some are worth hundreds of dollars. It can be seen that the moon cakes at this time are specially made for the Mid-Autumn Festival in August and become gifts for each family. .

　　Later, moon cakes were divided into north and south. According to the records of "Peiping Suizhi", Guangdong stores and Suzhou stores in the capital sold southern-style mooncakes, and Manzhou pastry shops sold northern-style mooncakes.

What other seasonal delicacies are there for the Mid-Autumn Festival?

　　Including moon cakes, there are not many delicacies in the Mid-Autumn Festival.

　　As mentioned earlier, the custom of eating moon cakes on the Mid-Autumn Festival was not popular until the Ming Dynasty, and before that, the Mid-Autumn Festival food was mainly based on seasonal melons and fruits (such as watermelons, apples, etc.).

　　There are also some different Mid-Autumn Festival food customs in various places that have been passed down to this day.

Zheng Yan, for example, eats "Maijian" in Jimo, Shandong, which is a pancake made of white flour, stuffed with meat or vegetarian, rolled with stalks and steamed, and seasoned when eating.

How did the ancients celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival?

　　Appreciating the moon, eating moon cakes... Many customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival are warm and humane.

　　The Mid-Autumn Festival in Song Dynasty was a secular carnival festival.

Often before August 15th, many shops on the street began to sell freshly brewed wine, and people scrambled to go upstairs to admire the moon, drink and sing.

Data map: Beijing, a bright moon is in the sky, and the moon is full on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhai Lu

　　Zheng Yan mentioned that the Mid-Autumn Festival customs mainly include moon-related beliefs and customs such as offering sacrifices to the moon, worshiping the moon, etc., as well as entertainment customs such as viewing the moon and playing with the moon, and then giving each other gifts such as moon cakes, melons and fruits, and family reunion customs.

　　The ancients' Mid-Autumn Festival basically included the above content, that is, giving gifts such as moon cakes to each other before and after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and reuniting with the family on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, enjoying the moon and walking on the moon together.

　　In addition, the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday has existed since ancient times.

According to "Tokyo Menghualu", the Song Dynasty had a one-day holiday on the Mid-Autumn Festival, and most of the subsequent dynasties followed it.

Why is the Mid-Autumn Festival also called the Reunion Festival?

　　The main meaning of the Mid-Autumn Festival is to celebrate the harvest, family reunion, and the promotion of interpersonal communication.

Among them, family reunion and interpersonal communication are the main contents of the Mid-Autumn Festival, so the Mid-Autumn Festival is also known as the "Reunion Festival".

　　During the festival, people give each other moon cakes, melons and fruits, which symbolize the good wishes among relatives and friends, and expand the emotional connection between individuals, families and society.

The literati are good at expressing blessings or nostalgia with poetry as a gift.

(Finish)