Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, August Festival, August Festival, Moon Chasing Festival, Moon Playing Festival, Moon Worship Festival, Daughter's Day or Reunion Festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional folk festival in China. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the worship of the moon in autumn in ancient times.
At first, the festival of "Moon Festival" was held on the day of "Autumn Equinox" in the twenty-four solar terms of the dry calendar, and later it was transferred to August 15th of the lunar calendar. In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival was held on August 16th of the lunar calendar. Since ancient times, Mid-Autumn Festival has had folk customs such as offering sacrifices to the moon, enjoying the moon, eating moon cakes, playing with lanterns, enjoying osmanthus flowers, drinking osmanthus wine, etc., which have spread to this day and lasted for a long time.
Extended information:
Myths and legends
the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon
The myth of "the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon" originated from the ancient people's worship of the stars, and the story of the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon first appeared in Gui Zang. Later, the folk further developed the story and evolved it into multiple story versions. Chang 'e boarded the Moon Palace. According to Huai Nan Zi in the Western Han Dynasty, it was because she ate the elixir that her husband Yi asked for from the West Fifth Mother that she flew into the Moon Palace and turned into a toad.
WU GANG won the laurel
WU GANG went to the Moon Palace to win the laurel. According to the novel Youyang Miscellany in the Tang Dynasty, it was because WU GANG, a western man, made a mistake in cultivating immortals that he was punished for cutting laurel trees in the moon. This osmanthus tree grows with cutting, and it will never stop cutting. ? Li Bai wrote in the poem "Give Cui Sihu Wen Kun Ji": "If you want to stay in the middle of the moon, you will be paid for the cold."
Baidu Encyclopedia-Mid-Autumn Festival