The origin of Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional festival in our country. According to historical records, the word "Mid-Autumn Festival" first appeared in the book "Zhou Rites". To Wei Jin, there is a "book book town Niu confusion, the Mid-Autumn night and around the river" records. It was not until the early Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. The Book of Tang · Taizong records "August 15 Mid-Autumn Festival".

The popularity of the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty, to the Ming and Qing dynasties, has become one of the main festivals with the New Year's Day. It is also the second largest traditional festival in China after the Spring Festival.

According to the Chinese calendar, the lunar August is in the middle of autumn, the second month of autumn, called "Mid-Autumn", and August 15 is in the "Mid-Autumn", so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival".

The Mid-Autumn Festival has many nicknames: because the festival is on August 15, it is called "August Festival" and "August half"; Because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are carried out around the "month", it is also commonly known as the "month festival" and "Moon night"; Mid-Autumn Festival The moon is complete, symbolizing reunion, so it is also called "Reunion Festival". In the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also called "correct month". The record of the "Reunion Festival" first appeared in the Ming Dynasty.
"West Lake tour Chi Yu" said: "August 15 is called the Mid-Autumn Festival, the folk to send moon cakes, take the meaning of reunion." "Emperor scenery" also said: "On the fifteenth day of August, the cake will be round, the melon will be wrong teeth, petals carved like lotus. ... It has a woman to return to the home, is the day will return to the husband, said the Reunion Festival also."

On the evening of the Mid-Autumn Festival, most parts of China also have the custom of "reunion", that is, baking a symbol of reunion, similar to the moon cake, cake wrapped in sugar, sesame, osmanthus and vegetables, the moon, laurel, rabbit and other patterns.

After the moon festival, the elders of the family will cut the cake into pieces according to the number of people, one piece for each person, and if someone is not at home, one piece will be left for them, indicating family reunion.