1, Fruit Festival - Mid-Autumn Festival coincides with the ripening of the fruits on the market, is a fruit fall, some old Beijingers directly call it "fruit festival".
"Kyoto Customs": the Mid-Autumn Festival, "three or five days before, through the streets of the city, covered with reeds, set up a high box basket, full of
Placing the fresh products, melons and vegetables, such as: peaches, pomegranates, pears, jujubes, grapes, apples and so on, the evening lamps look, red and green, the aroma of the people, the fruit sellers sell loudly, all the way. " Especially outside the front gate and Deshengmen fruit market, the night market before the festival, all night long. Fruit merchants yelling, one after another: "Today is how many? Thirteen, four children come! You do not buy me this sand fruit, smell the fruit to! Hey, two hundred forty to come!"
In addition to these fruits for people to taste, mainly for gifts and offerings. Therefore, the fruit and packaging are very elaborate. Some fruit growers in the apple is not ripe, will be cut with paper "Fu", "life", "Buddha" and other patterns, pasted on the fruit, not to make the sunlight, and so after the fruit is ripe, and then the paper cuts! Uncovered, the red apple is left on the yellow and green patterns, exquisite, attracting people to love. But the price is very expensive. Where used to gift friends and relatives, all in special baskets, but also padded with tarragon, to increase the fragrance of the fruit. Fruit baskets outside the addition of red and green tickets, adding to the festive atmosphere.
2, moon cakes before the festival, the major pastry stores are timely sale of Mid-Autumn Moon Festival moon cakes, "from the red" and "from" mainly. "From the red" baked color darker, green a color of white sugar, rock sugar, nuts for the filling, the outer skin on the drawing of a black and red circle, the circle with a needle on a few small holes. "From" is baked with refined white flour mixed filling moon cakes, date paste, clarified sand, peas, plant, sugar, etc., the outer skin is pure white. There is a small red stamp marking the type of filling. Other mooncakes, such as tibetan mooncakes, fluffy mooncakes, and Cantonese mooncakes, are also available. Gift-givers use bushels to wrap them. In addition, there are also special large mooncakes, about one foot in diameter. Most of them are by the catty, engraved with the pattern of Gui Temple and Toad Palace, and the Jade Rabbit pounding medicine, which are specially made for the moon. Yenching times and records" cloud: "mid-autumn moon cakes before the door to the beauty of the Zhimei Zhai for the first in Kyoto, other places are not enough to eat also." The end of the Qing Dynasty, Li Jingshan in his collection of poems, "Additions to the door of the miscellaneous chants" reflects the situation, "red and white turned hair manufacturing fine, Mid-Autumn gift all over the city, the catty sets of more low goods, filling less skin thousand half-life."
3, rabbit stalls - the most festive scene is the rabbit stalls. Ming "Beijing years Hua record", "the city to yellow earth Bo Cheng, said the rabbit master, wearing a flower robe, two or three feet high." Rabbit master is generally more humanoid rabbit face, long ears (so-called "horns") top helmet bundle armor, with a plain flag. Riding on a tiger, like a general. Big back also inserted a treasure cover type umbrella. Some are "short shirts and loads, like hawkers; there are drinking and dancing, like Yan music." The very simple is only a small white rabbit pounding medicine only. This is a kind of clay toy for children's holiday entertainment. As the Qing Dynasty poet Fang Yuanbi said in his "Miscellaneous Songs of the Capital Gate," "Children used to worship and buy rabbits on the side of the tans." Children around the 15th of August, imitating the adults for the rabbit to play: "swinging Buddha Foer" to play. This is a unique custom of the old capital.
4, for the moon after the tenth day of the eighth month, the south paper store in front of the "Moon Palace code", also known as the "rabbit code". The Department of watercolor printing on woodblock "God paper". Roughly: yellow, printed on the silver-faced Taiyin Xingjun statue and in front of the Palace of Guanghan, the golden rabbit stood pounding medicine graphics. Red, printed on the Sacred Emperor, the God of Fortune and the God of Fortune and Guanghan Palace, the golden rabbit standing in front of the graphics of pounding medicine, mostly business offerings. In addition, there are white, on the upper side of the image of different gods, but the moon palace rabbit pattern is indispensable. Because of the large format, in order to support the whole God code for the sake of the more Panicum straw tie frame, this "God paper" paste on it, into a plaque, on the vertical three color paper small flag.
The evening of the fifteenth, to be the family gathered, after the moon rose, the moon ceremony was held in the courtyard, the form is similar. Some look at the sky (to the moon) to set up sacrifices; some will be engraved with the Gui Temple Toad Palace pattern of large moon cakes set in the wooden frame when the god; useful for the above-mentioned Moon Palace code when the god. But all with a small table (small dining table), set on the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival mooncakes (only "from the red", do not use "from the white", temporary steamed brown sugar-filled cake (called reunion cake), in addition to not for all kinds of pear (because pear and "away from "Harmony"), other fruits are available for supply. "Petal carving such as Chu Hua" watermelon is indispensable, because of the meaning of reunion. In addition, the red cocklebur flowers and beans with branches. Incense and candles, money and food have. As the saying goes, "Men don't offer the moon, women don't offer the stove." (mostly referring to the officiating priest) In fact, there is no absolute limit to the participation in ancestor worship, the whole family can bow to worship, but women worship first, men worship later. Especially children, more to worship the moon as a playmaker.
If you use the Moon Palace code, withdraw the offerings, incinerate in the courtyard. If broomcorn millet can not be burned, hold "old mother on the child" more pressure in the bed under the mat, stay in the children playing urine.
After the withdrawal of the offerings, "the home of the elders and children gathered, full of fruits and wine, in the courtyard to drink, called 'reunion wine. "At the same time, the whole family to share the big moon cake, reunion cake. However, the habits of each family are different, some will be used as a reunion cake of the big moon cake, put in a dry and cool place, reserved for New Year's Eve, the whole family to share again. Only the servants are not included.
Fujian - Pucheng, women over the Mid-Autumn Festival to walk across the Nanpu Bridge for longevity. In Jianning, the Mid-Autumn Festival night to hang lamps as an auspicious omen to the Moon Palace to seek children. Shanghang County people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, the children more in the worship of the moon to invite the moon aunt. When Longyan people eat mooncakes, parents will dig out round cakes two or three inches in diameter in the center for the elders to eat, meaning that secret things should not be known to the younger generation. This custom stems from the legend that the mooncake hides a message against the Yuan and kills the enemy. In Kinmen, we have to worship the God of Heaven before paying respect to the moon in Mid-Autumn Festival.
Guangdong - Chaoshan, all over the Mid-Autumn Moon worship custom, mainly women and children, there are "men do not full moon, women do not sacrifice stove" proverb. At night, the moon rises, women will be in the yard, balcony set up when the sky prayer worship. Silver candles burning high, smoke, the table is also full of good fruit and cakes as a gift. There is also a local custom of eating taro in the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chaoshan has a proverb: "Hexi to the mouth, taro food to". In August, it is the taro harvest time, farmers are accustomed to taro to worship ancestors. This is certainly related to farming, but there is also a widely circulated folk legend: in 1279, the Mongolian nobles destroyed the Southern Song Dynasty and established the Yuan Dynasty, which ruled over the Han Chinese brutally. Ma Fa defended Chaozhou against the Yuan, and when the city was destroyed, the people were massacred. In order not to forget the pain of the reign of the Hu people, the descendants of taro and "Hu head" resonance, and the shape of the human head, as a tribute to ancestors, passed down through the generations, and still exists.
Guangzhou's tree in the autumn - Mid-Autumn Festival in Guangzhou has a kind of interesting traditional customs, called "tree in the autumn". Every Mid-Autumn Festival, each family to use bamboo strips to tie lamps, the beginning of a variety of lamps, not fruit lamps, but also birds and animals, fish and insects lamps, can also be built into the word lamp. At night, it is in the lamp burning candles, and then link many small lamps underneath, with a rope tied to the bamboo pole. Then the bamboo poles inserted in the high places of the house, such as platforms, roofs or high trees. At night, the city lights, such as stars, and the bright moon in the sky, to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as "vertical Mid-Autumn Festival".
The folk in the southern belt of the Mid-Autumn Festival people customs are also diverse. Nanjing people love to eat moon cakes on Mid-Autumn Festival, must eat Jinling famous dish osmanthus duck. "Cinnamon duck" in the cinnamon fragrance when the market, fat and not greasy, delicious flavor. After drinking, we must eat a small sweet taro, poured with osmanthus syrup, the beauty of it goes without saying. The name "osmanthus syrup" is taken from Qu Yuan's "Chu Rhetoric - Shao Shi Ming", "Aid the North closed and drink osmanthus syrup". Osmanthus syrup, a sugar osmanthus, is picked around mid-autumn and pickled with sugar and sour plums. The women of Jiangnan were so skillful that they turned the aphorisms in the poem into delicacies on the table. Nanjing people enjoy the moon together as a family and call it "celebrating the reunion", sitting and drinking together as a group is called "full moon", and going out to the market is called "walking on the moon".
Nanjing - the early Ming Dynasty, Nanjing, there is a moon tower, play the moon bridge, the Qing Dynasty, under the Lion Rock building towards the moon building, all for people to enjoy the moon, and to play the moon bridge for the most. When the moon is high in the sky, people will climb the Moon Watch Tower and play on the Moon Bridge together to **** see the Jade Rabbit for fun. "Play Moon Bridge" in the Fuzhi Temple Qinhuai River South, next to the bridge for the famous whore Ma Xianglan residence, this night, scholars gathered at the bridge pianoforte playing and singing, reminiscent of the cattle islets playing the moon, poetry to the moon, so this bridge is called the bridge to play the moon bridge. After the death of the Ming Dynasty, gradually declining, the descendants have a poem to: "the wind flow of the South Qu has been smoke, left the west wind longboard bridge, but remember the jade sitting on the bridge, the moon relative to teach blowjob". Longboard Bridge, that is, the original play moon bridge. In recent years, Nanjing Fuzimiao has been repaired, restored some of the pavilions during the Ming and Qing dynasties, dredging the river, to be the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can come with a partner to enjoy the fun of playing the moon here.
Jiangsu Province - Wuxi County on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival to burn incense. The incense is surrounded by gauze and silk, painted with the scenery of the moon palace. There are also incense bucket to line incense braided, the top of the inserted paper tie Kuixing and colorful flags. The Shanghai people Mid-Autumn Festival feast with osmanthus honey wine.
Jiangxi Province - Ji'an County in the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, each village with straw burning tiles. When the tiles burn red, then put vinegar in. At this time there will be fragrance floating all over the village. Xincheng County, the Mid-Autumn Festival, since the August 11th night from the hanging grass lamps, until August 17th end.
Anhui Province - Wuyuan Mid-Autumn Festival, children to brick pile a hollow pagoda. Pagoda hanging to tent plaques and other decorations, and set a table in front of the tower, set up a variety of honor "tower god" apparatus. At night, inside and outside are lit with lights and candles. Jixi Mid-Autumn Festival Children's Mid-Autumn Cannon. The Mid-Autumn Cannon is made of straw tied into a braid, soaked in wet and then picked up to the stone to strike, making a loud noise and the custom of swimming fire dragon. The fire dragon is a dragon made of straw, with incense sticks inserted into its body. When the dragon swims, there are gongs and drums with the same team, and then sent to the river after traveling through the villages.
Sichuan Province - the Mid-Autumn Festival, in addition to eating moon cakes, but also to hit the poi, kill ducks, eat hemp cakes, honey cakes. Some places also point orange lanterns, hanging in the door to celebrate. There are also children in the pomelo full of incense, dancing along the street, called "dance meteor incense ball. Jiading County, the Mid-Autumn Festival sacrifices to the land god, play miscellaneous plays, vocal music, cultural relics, known as the "look at the meeting".
Shandong Province - Qingyun County, farmers in the August 15 festival Tugu God, called "Qingmiao She". Zhucheng, Linyi and Jimo, in addition to sacrificing the moon, also have to go to the grave to worship ancestors. Landlords in Guanxian, Laiyang, Guangrao and Yucheng also feasted their tenants at the Mid-Autumn Festival. Jimo Mid-Autumn Festival to eat a festival food called "wheat arrow".
In Shanxi Province, Lu'an feasted their sons-in-law on the Mid-Autumn Festival. In Datong County, the moon cake is called "reunion cake", and there is a custom of vigil on the Mid-Autumn Festival night.
Hebei Province - Wanquan County, said the Mid-Autumn Festival for the "small New Year's Day", moonlight paper painted with Taiyin Xingjun and Guandi night read the Spring and Autumn statues. The people of Hetian County consider mid-autumn rain to be bitter rain, and if it rains on the Mid-Autumn Festival, the locals believe that the greens must not taste good.
Shaanxi Province - Xixiang County in the Mid-Autumn Festival night men boat climbed the cliffs, women arranged a good feast. No matter rich or poor, must eat watermelon. Mid-autumn drummers blowing drums along the door to ask for reward money. Luochuan County, the Mid-Autumn Festival parents rate students with gifts for Mr. worship, lunch more than in the school meal.
Mid-autumn night burning tower is also very popular in some places. Tower height ranging from 1-3 meters, mostly made of broken tiles, large towers are also made of bricks, about 1/4 of the height of the tower, and then stacked with tiles and into the top of the tower to leave a mouth for the release of fuel. Mid-autumn night will be burning fire, fuel wood, bamboo, husk, etc., when the fire is strong, splash rosin powder, lead flame to help, extremely spectacular. Folk there is a race to burn tower regulations, who burned the whole seat of the tower red through the win, not as good as or in the burning process of the collapse of the negative, the winners by the host to send colorful flags, prizes or prizes. It is rumored that the burning tower is also the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Han Chinese people against the brutal rulers, in the Mid-Autumn Uprising when the fire for the origin of the number.
"Séance" is an interesting activity on the Mid-Autumn Festival night, where incantations and rituals are performed to bring to life the gods that have been sent down, including the Table God, the Moon God, the Eight Immortals, and the Basket God (which is a goddess), and so on.
Taiwan - "listening to incense" is an ancient Mid-Autumn custom handed down in Taiwan, is a woman at home in front of the enshrined statue of God burning incense and prayers, indicating that the heart of the things that want to divulge (such as feelings, wealth, etc.), in the direction of going out and then should be traveled after the request! The woman will go out with incense, and all the talks and songs she hears on the way can be used to divine the things she asks about, and then she will ask the god whether the answer is so, and if the answer is no, then she will continue to walk until she gets the answer from the god; unmarried girls also have the custom of stealing vegetables or scallions from other people's vegetable gardens on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and if she succeeds in doing so, it will mean that she will be able to get a good love.