Customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival: Moonwalking, moon worship, moon viewing, moon begging, moon watching, mooncakes, burning incense, lighting lanterns, riddles, playing with rabbits, playing with lanterns, dancing with fire dragons, listening to the incense, stealing moon vegetables, lighting pagoda lanterns, throwing a handkerchief to recruit a bride, stealing melons and praying for a son, drinking osmanthus, stealing vegetables to seek a husband, eating snails, and enjoying osmanthus, etc.
Moonwalking
What is a major feature of the Mid-Autumn Festival night is called "moonwalking".
Moonwalking
The Mid-Autumn Festival night there is also a major feature of the moon viewing activities called "moonwalking". Under the bright moonlight, people dressed in beautiful clothes, three or five companions, or touring the streets, or spent boat Qinhuai River, or climbed to watch the moonlight, talk and laugh. In the Ming Dynasty, Nanjing had the Moon Tower and the Moon Bridge, and in the Qing Dynasty, there was the Moon Tower under the Lion's Hill, which were all moonlight-viewing resorts for tourists to "walk the moon". Mid-autumn night out to enjoy the moon, Shanghai people called "walk the moon".
Moon Sacrifice
Moon Sacrifice is a very ancient custom in China, which is actually a kind of worship activity of the ancient people to the "moon god". In ancient times, there is the custom of "autumn and evening moon". The moon is set on the eve of the moon, i.e., to worship the moon god. In ancient times, in some areas of Guangdong, people had the custom of worshipping the moon god in the evening of Mid-Autumn Festival. To pay homage to the moon god, a large incense burner is set up and offerings such as mooncakes, watermelons, apples, jujubes, plums, grapes, etc. are placed on the table. Under the moon, the "moon god" tablet is placed in the direction of the moon, red candles are lit, and the whole family worships the moon in turn to pray for blessings. The moon worship and appreciation of the moon, the moon memorial, expressed the good wishes of the people.
Moon Appreciation: The custom of Moon Appreciation originated from the Moon Sacrifice, where the seriousness of the sacrifice was transformed into a light-hearted entertainment. It is said that this night the moon is the closest to the earth, the moon is the largest round and brightest, so from ancient times to the present day have the custom of enjoying the moon; back to the mother's home of the daughter-in-law is the day must return to her husband's home, in order to symbolize the perfect, auspicious meaning. Textual records of folk activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival about the beginning of the Wei and Jin dynasties, but did not become customary. To the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, playing the moon is quite popular, many poets in the famous poem there are moon poems.
Begging the moon: In the old days, some women in Dongguan believe that "the old man as a matchmaker", where there are adult men and women in the family without a man of interest, to facilitate the Mid-Autumn Festival night at three o'clock in the moon burning incense and candles, begging for the old man of the moon for the matchmaking. Legend has it that on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moonlight can make women pregnant. In some areas, on the moonlit night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, some long-married infertile women will go out of their homes and bathe in the moonlight, hoping to give birth to a son, called "shine the moon".
Tide: The custom of watching the tide in the Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history. The Jade Rabbit is very round, and the frosty winds of September are already cold. I'd like to tell you that I'm not going to be able to get the key to the door, but I'd like to see the tide in the moon." This is a poem written by Su Shi, a great poet of the Song Dynasty, "Watching the Tide on August 15th". In ancient times, in addition to the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, tide-watching was another Mid-Autumn event in Zhejiang.
Eating mooncakes
Eating mooncakes has been an essential custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival across China, where people eat mooncakes to show their "reunion". Mooncakes, also known as moon balls, harvest cakes, palace cakes, reunion cakes, etc., are ancient Mid-Autumn Festival offerings to worship the moon god. Mooncakes were initially used as offerings to worship the moon god, but later people gradually took the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Moon Festival and mooncakes as a symbol of family reunion. The mooncake symbolizes reunion, and people use it as a festive food, offering it to the moon, and giving it to friends and relatives.? [2]? [8]?
Burning bucket incense: Jiangsu Mid-Autumn Festival night to burn bucket incense. The incense bucket is surrounded by gauze and silk, painted with a view of the Moon Palace. There are also incense bucket to line incense braided, above the insertion of the paper tie Kuixing and colorful flags. Shanghai folk custom of burning incense bucket.? [9]?
Burning lamps: burning lamps to help the moon. Mid-autumn night, the lamp burning candles, tied to the bamboo poles, tile eaves, terrace and other high places, commonly known as "tree in the autumn" or "vertical in the autumn".
Riddle: Mid-Autumn Moon full moon night in the public **** place to hang many lanterns, people are gathered together, guessing the riddles written on the lanterns, because most of the young men and women favorite activities.
Playing Rabbit Master: The origin of playing Rabbit Master is about the end of Ming Dynasty, popular in Beijing area. Ming Jikun (about 1636 around the world) of the "Flower King Pavilion Remaining Drafts": "Beijing Mid-Autumn Festival more than to the clay Tuan rabbit-shaped, clothed and seated in the shape of a man, the children sacrificed and worship." In the Qing Dynasty, the function of the Rabbit Master was changed from a moon festival to a Mid-Autumn Festival toy for children. The Rabbit Master is made of clay, rabbit head and body, wearing armor, inserted back flag, face paste gold clay, painted body, or sitting or standing, or pounding pestle and mortar or riding the beast, put up two big ears, also Zhuang and harmonious. In the Beijing area of folklore, the Mid-Autumn Festival Festival Rabbit Master is not enough solemnity and games have more.
Playing lanterns
Mid-Autumn Festival, there are many game activities, the first is to play lanterns. The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the three major lantern festivals in China, and it is important to play with lanterns during the festival. Of course, the Mid-Autumn Festival does not have a large lantern festival like the Lantern Festival, play lanterns are mainly just in the family, between children. As early as in the Northern Song Dynasty, "Wulin Old Story", recorded in the Mid-Autumn Festival night custom, there will be 'a little red' lamp into the river to float and play activities. Mid-autumn play lanterns, mostly concentrated in the south. Such as the aforementioned Foshan Autumn Colors, there are all kinds of colorful lanterns: sesame lamps, eggshell lamps, shavings lamps, straw lamps, fish scale lamps, cereal lamps, melon seed lamps and birds and animals, flowers and trees lamps, etc., is amazing.
In Guangzhou, Hong Kong and other places, the Mid-Autumn Festival night to carry out tree Mid-Autumn Festival activities, the tree is also used as vertical, that is, the meaning of the lanterns up high. Children in the parents with the assistance of bamboo paper tied into a rabbit lamp, Yang Peach lamp or square lamps, hung horizontally in the short pole, and then erected on a high pole, high technology up, colorful light shining, for the Mid-Autumn Festival to add a scene. The children compete with each other to see who can put up the highest and most exquisite lanterns. In addition, there are sky lanterns, that is, the Kongming lanterns, with paper tied into a large-shaped lights, lights under the candle, hot air upward, so that the lights flying in the air, attracting laughter and chasing. In addition, there are children's hand-held lanterns in the moonlight play play.
In the Nanning area of Guangxi, in addition to the paper and bamboo tied all kinds of lanterns for children to play, there are also very simple pomelo lamps, pumpkin lamps, orange lamps. The so-called pomelo lamp, is the pomelo hollowed out, carved out a simple pattern, put on the rope, inside the candle into, light elegant. Pumpkin lanterns and tangerine lanterns are also made by hollowing out the flesh. Although simple, but easy to make, very popular, some children also float pomelo lamps into the pool river water for games. In Guangxi, there is a simple autumn lantern, which is made of six bamboo circles tied into a lamp, with white gauze paper on the outside and candles inserted inside. Hanging on the side of the moon festival table for the moon festival, but also for children to play. Today, many areas of Guangxi and Guangdong, in the Mid-Autumn Festival night set up lanterns, tied with electric lights illuminated by large modern lanterns, as well as made of plastic with a variety of new lanterns for children to play, but there is less of a pure and simple beauty of the old lamps and lanterns.
Listening to Fragrance: Listening to Fragrance is an ancient Mid-Autumn custom that has been passed down in Taiwan. In ancient times, young girls who wanted to get a good match first burned incense in front of the gods at home, told their hearts, and prayed to the gods to indicate the direction of listening to the incense, and then according to the direction of the instructions on the road inadvertently or eavesdropping on the first sentence, memorize it, and then go home to throw wild rice, judging the interpretation of the fortunes and misfortunes of the things that are being divined. For example, if you hear the words "eat sweet cake" or "blossom" or "full moon", it means good omen and a happy event is near.
Stealing Moon Vegetables: Legend has it that if an unmarried girl steals vegetables or green onions from another family's vegetable garden on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it will mean that she will meet a man of her choice in the future. Taiwan has a saying "steal the onion, marry a good man; steal the vegetables, marry a good son-in-law" refers to this custom. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival in the Dong village of Hunan Province, there is an interesting custom of "stealing moon vegetables". According to legend, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the fairies in the moon palace would descend to the lower world and sprinkle manna all over the earth. The nectar of the fairies is selfless, therefore, people this night can **** with the enjoyment of sprinkling with manna fruits and vegetables.
Lighting the Pagoda Lantern
The Mid-Autumn Lantern is not quite the same as the Lantern. Mid-autumn night lighted pagoda lamp, and mainly popular in the South. Pagoda lamp, that is, by the village children pick up rubble built into a pagoda-shaped lamp. In the Qing Dynasty, Suzhou villagers in the wilderness with the tile stacked into a seven-stage pagoda, the center for the King of Tibet, surrounded by lamps, known as the "Tower Lights". Guangzhou children burning "Panta lamp", with broken tiles; and pomelo skin lamps, with red pomelo skin carving a variety of characters, flowers and plants, placed in the center of a glazed marble, red light. In addition the south is also widely circulated burning tile lamp (or burn flower tower, burn tile tower, burn tower) of the game, in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi and other places have been circulated.
Throwing a handkerchief to recruit relatives: in some areas of China's Fujian Province, Mid-Autumn Festival night, there is a "throw handkerchief to recruit relatives" custom. Generally in the square to build a colorful platform, arranged as a moon palace scene, set the jade rabbit, laurel tree, etc.. Some unmarried girls dressed as Chang'e, will be embroidered with some of the different colors of the handkerchiefs to the stage to throw, such as someone received the handkerchiefs and "Chang'e" in the hands of the same color, can be on stage to receive the prize. Some unmarried guys in the handkerchiefs, if the "Chang'e" like, can make friends with, the love of the people will be able to tie the knot.
Theft melon prayers: in Hunan's Hengyang, "Mid-Autumn Festival night, have to send melon" matter. "Where the seat of the abundance of C履原之家，娶妇數年不育者，则亲友举行送瓜，先數日，在菜园中窃冬瓜一个，須令园主不知，以彩色绘成面目，衣服包裹在其上如人形。 Raise the oldest good fortune to hold it, sounding gold and firecrackers, sent to their homes. Elderly people put winter melon in the bed, covered with a quilt, the door read the day, planting melon get melon, planting beans get beans. The recipient of the melon set up a feast to entertain them, as if it were another event. After the woman got the melon, that is, dissected and eaten. Popular rumor has it that this matter is the most effective cloud." In Hengyang, all the village married without children, as long as the people good, the village will be someone to give them "send son".
Drinking osmanthus wine: People often eat mooncakes and enjoy osmanthus flowers during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and consume various kinds of food made from osmanthus flowers, with pastries and candies being the most common.
Stealing vegetables to ask for a groom: In Taiwan, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a custom for unmarried women to "steal vegetables to ask for a groom". Beautifully made-up women step into the moonlight to steal onions and vegetables from other people's gardens, and when they do, it's a sign that she'll meet the man of her dreams. This is why there is a proverb in Taiwan that says, "If you steal onions, you will marry a good husband; if you steal vegetables, you will marry a good son-in-law.
Eating snails: folk belief that the mid-autumn snails, can brighten the eyes. After investigation, snail meat containing vitamin A is an important substance in the eyes of the optic pigment. Visible this statement is reasonable. But why must eat it in the Mid-Autumn Festival? It has been pointed out that around the Mid-Autumn Festival, it is the time when the snail is empty, and there is no small snail in the abdomen, therefore, the meat is particularly fat. Today in Guangzhou folk, many families in the Mid-Autumn Festival, have the habit of fried snails.
Osmanthus: Every Mid-Autumn Festival night, people look up at the moon in the laurel, smell the fragrance of osmanthus, drink a cup of osmanthus honey wine, celebrating the family sweet, happy together, has become a festive season a kind of beauty to enjoy.