A big reveal on the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and its gift-giving customs

The Mid-Autumn Festival is commonly known as the "Mooncake Festival" and the "Reunion Festival". Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is a custom of giving mooncakes to relatives and friends, which has become a traditional custom in China for many years. Next, the editor of Qili Women's Network will explain to you the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the gift-giving customs. We must continue these thousand-year-old customs left by our ancestors.

A big reveal on the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival and its gift-giving customs

The Origin of Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month every year. August is the second month of autumn. It was called Zhongqiu in ancient times, so it is called Mid-Autumn Festival among the people. It is also called Autumn Eve, August Festival, Mid-August, Moon Eve, and Moon Festival. Because the moon is full on this day, it symbolizes reunion, so it is also called Reunion Festival.

The word "Mid-Autumn" was first seen in "Zhou Li". According to the ancient Chinese calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival in Hanfu falls on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which is in the middle of August in the autumn of the year, so it is called "Mid-Autumn Festival". There are four seasons in a year, and each season is divided into three parts: Meng, Zhong and Ji. Therefore, the second month in autumn is called Zhongqiu. It was not until the early Tang Dynasty that the Mid-Autumn Festival became a fixed festival. "The New Book of Tang, Volume 15, Records, Chapter 5, Rituals and Music 5" records that "In the middle of spring and mid-autumn, sacrifices are offered to King Wenxuan and King Wucheng" and "In the 19th year of Kaiyuan, the temple of Taigong Shangfu was first established, with Zhang Liang, Marquis of Liu, as its partner. Sacrifices are offered to it on the first five days of mid-spring and mid-autumn, with the system of sacrificial animals and music as written." According to historical records, the ancient emperors held the moon-worship festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, which falls exactly in the middle of the three autumns, hence the name "Mid-Autumn Festival"; and because this festival is in August, it is also called the "Autumn Festival", "August Festival", "August Meeting" and "Mid-Autumn Festival"; there are also beliefs and related customs praying for reunion, so it is also called the "Reunion Festival" and "Daughter's Festival". Because the main activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival are all centered around the "moon", it is also commonly known as the "Moon Festival", "Moon Eve", "Moon-Chasing Festival", "Moon-Playing Festival" and "Moon-Worshiping Festival"; in the Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival was also called "Duan Zheng Yue". The popularity of the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Song Dynasty. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it had become as famous as New Year's Day and became one of the major festivals in my country. There are roughly three theories about the origin of the Mid-Autumn Festival: it originated from the ancient custom of worshiping the moon and singing and dancing under the moon to find a mate, and it also originated from the ancient custom of worshiping the land god in autumn.