The Mid-Autumn Festival is an ancient festival in my country, and admiring the moon is an important custom of the festival. Origin of the custom: The custom of appreciating the moon originated from worshiping the moon, and the serious worship turned into a relaxed entertainment.
The folk activity of appreciating the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival began around the Wei and Jin Dynasties, but it has not 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 people's emotions and the state of the world. Even on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the clear light of the moon could not conceal 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 private households Fighting for the restaurant and playing in the moonlight, the music and music are heard thousands of miles away, and we sit and play until dawn" ("Tokyo Menghua Lu"). The Mid-Autumn Festival in the Song Dynasty was a sleepless night. The night market was open all night long and there were endless tourists enjoying the moonlight. There is a bright moon all year round, so why should we enjoy it in the Mid-Autumn Festival? Ouyang Zhan tried to explain this problem in the preface to the poem "Wanying in the Moon": "The moon is for playing, in winter it is full of frost and too cold, in summer it is too hot and steaming clouds, the clouds cover the moon, and the frost invades people, both covering and invading harm Wan." Autumn corresponds to the time of year, summer precedes winter, August begins with autumn, the season begins with Meng and ends with Meng, and the 15th is at night, and it is in the middle of the month.
According to the way of heaven, the cold and heat are equal; "Po Yuan." He gave an explanation from a weather perspective. This explanation seems reasonable from today's scientific perspective. In mid-autumn, the dry and cold airflow from the north forces the warm and humid air that has been swirling over most parts of my country in the summer to retreat southward. The water vapor in the air decreases and there are fewer clouds and mists in the sky, resulting in crisp autumn air and clear night sky. Therefore, the moon appears exceptionally bright, giving people the feeling of being exceptionally bright during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In addition to natural reasons, there are also historical reasons why people choose to enjoy the moon around the Mid-Autumn Festival of the year. Early moon sacrifices were chosen to be held in the autumn, when people focused their attention on the moon and could Fully appreciate the beauty of the moon that you usually don’t notice. At that time, the upper class began to have a more rational understanding of the moon. Instead of simply worshiping it, they gradually began to appreciate the full moon as a beautiful natural scene. This is the so-called "good time and beautiful scenery" mentality. We can clearly see the traces of ancient myths from the moon appreciation poems of the past dynasties. The osmanthus tree, white rabbit, and Chang'e are common images, which also proves the strong influence of ancient moon myths on the custom of moon appreciation.
Related legends: According to legend, in ancient times, ten suns appeared in the sky, which caused the earth to smoke and the sea water to dry up, making it difficult for the people to live. Later, a hero named Hou Yi climbed to the Kunlun Mountains, used his supernatural power, drew his magical bow, and shot down nine superfluous suns in one go. He was respected and loved by the people.
Soon, Hou Yi married a beautiful and kind-hearted wife named Chang'e. The couple is in love. One day, Hou Yi went to the Kunlun Mountains to visit friends and seek enlightenment. By chance, he met the Queen Mother who was passing by. He asked the Queen Mother for a packet of elixir. Taking this medicine, he could instantly ascend to heaven and become an immortal. Then 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 was unexpectedly seen by the treacherous Peng Meng.