The Customs Of The Mid-Autumn Festival

As one of the four major traditional festivals in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival has rich and colorful customs, which not only reflects the profound cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, but also embodies people’s yearning and pursuit for a better life. The following is a detailed explanation of the main customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival:

1. Moon Appreciation
   Moon appreciation is one of the most core customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival. When night falls, a bright moon hangs high in the sky, and every household will go out, or climb a building to look into the distance, or live by the water, to appreciate this bright moon together. Moon appreciation activities not only allow people to appreciate the beauty of the moon, but also embodies people’s longing for their distant relatives and their yearning for a better life. In ancient times, the emperor had the ritual of worshiping the sun in spring and worshiping the moon in autumn, and the people also had the custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. In the Tang Dynasty, moon appreciation and moon playing were quite popular during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and many poets had poems about the moon in their famous works. The activities of worshiping the moon and appreciating the moon in the court and among the people in the Song, Ming and Qing dynasties were more large-scale. People in different regions also hold moon appreciation activities according to local characteristics, such as the “Fire Dragon Dance” in the south.
2. Eating mooncakes
   Eating mooncakes is another major custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival. As a traditional food of the Mid-Autumn Festival, mooncakes symbolize reunion and happiness. There are many kinds of mooncakes, including Cantonese, Su, Beijing and other flavors, and the fillings are also rich and varied, including red bean paste, lotus paste, five kernels, egg yolks, etc. The custom of eating mooncakes originated from the ancient ritual of worshiping the moon, and later gradually evolved into a must-have festival food for every household during the Mid-Autumn Festival. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, families gather together to taste mooncakes, which not only adds to the festive atmosphere of the festival, but also expresses people’s desire for family reunion and wishes for a better life.
3. Lighting lanterns
   On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is still a custom of lighting lanterns in many places. People will light lanterns or fly Kongming lanterns in the courtyard to express their thoughts for their loved ones and good wishes for the future. This custom not only adds to the festive atmosphere of the festival, but also reflects people’s pursuit of light and hope. In ancient times, people believed that lanterns could drive away evil and protect peace, so lighting lanterns on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival became a traditional custom. Now, although the material and shape of lanterns have changed a lot, this custom is still preserved and inherited and developed.
4. Appreciating osmanthus and drinking osmanthus wine
   The Mid-Autumn Festival is when osmanthus is in full bloom, so appreciating osmanthus and drinking osmanthus wine have become a major custom of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The fragrance of osmanthus is refreshing; and osmanthus wine is brewed with osmanthus as the raw material, with a unique taste and aroma. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people will gather together to appreciate osmanthus and taste osmanthus wine to feel the joy and warmth of the festival. At the same time, osmanthus also embodies people’s pursuit and praise for a sweet life, making this custom more poetic and romantic.
5. Playing with lanterns
   Playing with lanterns is one of the traditional entertainment activities of the Mid-Autumn Festival. People will make lanterns of various shapes and sizes to decorate their homes or participate in activities such as lantern parades and competitions. Lanterns are made of various materials, including paper, plastic, glass, etc.; the shapes are also different, including animal shapes, plant shapes, and human shapes. On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, people light lanterns and place them in the water to float or hang them high up to watch, in order to express their yearning and pursuit for a better life. In addition, some places have the custom of guessing lantern riddles. People will post riddles on lanterns for people to guess, which adds to the fun and interactivity of the festival.
6. Moon worship and moon worship
   Moon worship and moon worship are one of the important rituals of Mid-Autumn Festival. In ancient times, people believed that the moon was a mysterious and noble natural object that could affect the growth of crops, the changes in tides, and even the misfortunes and blessings of the world. Therefore, every night of Mid-Autumn Festival, people would set up a table in the courtyard to worship the moon god in the air (called “moon worship” or “moon worship”), praying for the moon god to bless their family with peace, harvest and happiness. The moon worship ceremony usually includes setting up a table, placing offerings, burning incense, and bowing; moon worship refers to people’s behavior of paying homage to the moon god and praying for his blessing. Although the rituals of moon worship and moon worship have been gradually simplified or disappeared in modern society, this traditional custom is still preserved in some places.
7. Other customs
   In addition to the customs mentioned above, there are many other interesting customs and activities during the Mid-Autumn Festival. For example:

Walking on the moon: In Wuhu, Anhui, there is a custom of “walking on the moon”. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, local women will make appointments to go out together. They will walk through the streets and alleys to look at the moon, or go to the wild to enjoy the moon and talk about love until late at night.
Stealing onions and vegetables: In some areas of Taiwan Province, there is a custom of “stealing onions and vegetables”. According to legend, if an unmarried girl steals vegetables or onions from other people’s vegetable gardens on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, it means that she will meet a good husband in the future. Therefore, unmarried girls in these areas will go together to steal onions and vegetables on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival to pray for a happy marriage.
Sending melons and touching melons: In Xiaogan, Hubei, there is a custom of “sending melons”. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, local people will give each other watermelons to express their blessings. In some places in Zhejiang, there is a custom of “touching melons”. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, people will touch the melons in the offerings to cut and eat them in order to pray for a child. If a woman has not given birth after three years of marriage, she must go to touch the melon and pray for early pregnancy and childbirth.
Mid-Autumn Night Tour: On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival in the Jiangnan region, people will go boating on the lake to enjoy the moon and the scenery and taste delicious food. This activity not only adds to the fun of the festival but also promotes emotional exchanges between people.
Summary
As one of the traditional festivals of the Chinese nation, the Mid-Autumn Festival has rich and colorful customs and profound meanings. Whether it is watching the moon, eating moon cakes, lighting lanterns, appreciating osmanthus and other customs, they all reflect the profound cultural heritage and national emotions of the Chinese nation. At the same time, these customs have become an indispensable part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, making this festival more charming and attractive. In modern society, with the development of society and cultural exchanges, the customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival are also constantly inherited and developed.