Poetry, stories, myths and legends about Mid-Autumn Festival and its customs.

Mid-autumn poetry

Drinking alone the bright moon (Tang) Li Bai

A pot of wine from the flowers, I drink it alone. No one is with me.

Raise my cup, I invite the bright moon, which brings me its shadow and makes us three people.

Alas, the moon cannot drink water, and my shadow follows me blankly; .

I sang. The moon encourages me and I dance. My shadow is rolling in the back.

I woke up and had sex, and then I got drunk and we lost each other.

Will goodwill be guaranteed? I think the Milky Way is a long way.

Wang Jian's Looking at the Moon at Fifteen Nights (Tang)

Bai Shu crows in the atrium, and Coody Leng is silent and wet with osmanthus.

I don't know whose bag Qiu Si will fall into tonight.

Mid-Autumn Festival (Tang) Lipu

When the mirror rises in the sky, the clouds are silent;

A full round, accompanied by Wan Liyun;

The sly rabbit falls the string, and the demon frog rests in front of him;

Lingcha intends to join hands until the Milky Way is completely clear.

The origin of the Mid-Autumn festival

According to the ancient calendar of China, the word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in Zhou Li. It is in the middle of August of a year, on the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month, so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". There are four seasons, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and Ji. Because the second month of Mid-Autumn Festival is called Mid-Autumn Festival, it is also called "Mid-Autumn Festival". When it reached the Wei and Jin Dynasties, it became a fixed festival when it was called "the ox in Henan merchants is small and the bell is small". According to the records in Emperor Taizong's book, the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty, and by the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become one of the major festivals in China and the second largest traditional festival in China after the Spring Festival.

According to legend, ugly women in ancient Qi had no salt. When she was a child, she was very devout to Yue Bai. When she grew up, she entered the palace with superior moral character, but she couldn't get the favor of enjoying the moon on August 15th. The son of heaven saw her in the moonlight, thought she was beautiful, and later made her queen. Thus, Yue Bai of Mid-Autumn Festival came to Chang 'e in the middle of the month, and was famous for her beauty. Therefore, Yue Bai, a young girl, hopes to "look like Chang 'e and the bright moon".

Mid-autumn legend

The Goddess Chang's fly to the moon

According to legend, there were ten suns in the sky one year in ancient times, which made the earth smoke and the sea dry up, and ordinary people could not live any longer.

This incident alarmed a hero named Hou Yi. He climbed to the top of Kunlun Mountain, drew his bow with divine power, and shot down nine redundant suns in one breath.

Hou Yi made great contributions and was respected and loved by the people. Many people with lofty ideals came here to study art, and the treacherous and cunning Meng Peng also mixed in.

Soon, Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind wife named Chang 'e. Besides hunting, she stayed with her all day. People admired this beautiful and loving couple.

One day, Hou Yi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and look for pottery. He happened to meet the Queen Mother passing by and asked her for a pack of elixir. It is said that taking this medicine can instantly ascend to heaven and become immortal.

However, Hou Yi was reluctant to leave his wife, so he had to temporarily give the elixir to Chang 'e and hide it in the treasure chest of the dresser, only to be seen by Meng Peng.

Three days later, Hou Yi led his followers out hunting, and Meng Peng, who had ulterior motives, pretended to be ill and stayed.

Shortly after Hou Yi led the crowd to leave, Meng Peng broke into the backyard of the back room with a sword in his hand, threatening Chang 'e to hand over the elixir.

Chang 'e knew that she was no match for Meng Peng. In times of crisis, she made a decisive decision, turned around and opened the treasure chest, took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp.

Chang 'e swallowed the medicine and immediately floated off the ground, rushed out of the window and flew into the sky. Because Chang 'e was worried about her husband, she flew to the nearest moon and became a fairy.

In the evening, when Hou Yi came home, the maids were crying about what happened during the day. Hou Yi was surprised and angry, and drew his sword to kill the villain. Meng Peng escaped early. Hou Yi was so angry that he beat his chest and shouted the name of his beloved wife. At this time, he was surprised to find that today's moon is particularly bright and bright, with a figure shaking like Chang 'e.

Hou Yi hurriedly sent someone to Chang 'e's favorite back garden, put on a table sweetmeats, put on her favorite honey-made fresh fruit, and offered a memorial service to Chang 'e at the Moon Palace.

After hearing the news that the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon became an immortal, people set up an incense table under the moon and prayed for good luck and peace to the kind Chang 'e. Since then, the custom of Mid-Autumn Festival in Yue Bai has spread among the people.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, Mongolians like to play the game of "Chasing the Moon". People rode horses and galloped on the grassland in the silver moonlight. The moon rises in the east and falls on the persistent Mongolian riders in the west, and "chasing the moon" doesn't stop there.

The custom of Tibetan compatriots in some parts of Tibet to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival is to "search for the moon" on Sunday night. Young men, women and dolls follow the bright moon reflected in the river water, take measures to cover the moon shadow in the surrounding pond, and then go home for reunion and eat moon cakes.

Hezhe people in Hezhe areas in Northeast China "worship the moon". On the Mid-Autumn Festival, people pick grapes and offer sacrifices to the moon in memory of a clever and hardworking Hezhe daughter-in-law. She couldn't stand her mother-in-law's abuse, so she ran to the river to ask the moon for help and finally ran to the moon.

Deang nationality "string the moon" Young men and women of Deang nationality in Luxi, Yunnan Province, whenever the Mid-Autumn Festival is bright and the mountains cover the sky, melodious cucurbit music comes from time to time. Young men and women string the moon together to pour out their hearts, and some even make an engagement by "stringing the moon".

The traditional habit of celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival is to "jump on the moon" on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The girl with gauze jumped up, and so did the boy with big three strings. However, what is particularly provocative is the duet of young men and women expressing their love, as if the moon was moved by Li.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, Miao people bathed in moonlight, played melodious lusheng and danced with Miao people. In the "Moon Festival" activities, young people find the right people and confess to each other. Just like the moon and clear water, their hearts are pure and bright and will remain unchanged for a hundred years.

Gaoshan people "enjoy the moon" The Gaoshan compatriots who live in the mountainous areas of Taiwan Province Province, when the Mid-Autumn Moon is full and shining all over the earth, wear national costumes, sit around singing and dancing, drink wine and enjoy family happiness.