Mid-Autumn Festival is a Taoist saying. In ancient China, 65438+1October 15, July 15 and1October 15 were called Shangyuan, Zhongyuan and Xia Yuan: Shangyuan was the day when God blessed the people, Zhongyuan was the day when local officials forgave them, and Xia Yuan was the day when water officials saved them. So I will spend my time in the middle of the Yuan Dynasty. Mid-Autumn Festival-China traditional folk festival "Mid-Autumn Festival" falls on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month. In the south, it is also called "Ghost Festival". Some people say that the Mid-Autumn Festival is on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month. On this day, people bring sacrifices to the grave to pay homage to their ancestors, similar to Tomb-Sweeping Day's grave-sweeping. In feudal times, the local government also ordered monks and Taoists in temples to set up Dojo for the lost souls to pay homage to the soldiers who died in battle. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people burn a lot of paper money.

The Mid-Autumn Festival on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month (in some places, especially in the south of China, it is said that Mongols invaded a place at the end of the Song Dynasty, and residents celebrated the festival one day in advance to escape), which is called the Mid-Autumn Festival by Taoism, the Yulanben Festival by Buddhism, and the Ghost Festival by the people, which is July and a half (some Hakkas call it August and a half, as opposed to the Mid-Autumn Festival). This festival lasts for one month from July 1 day to July 30 of the lunar calendar.

On the fifteenth day of the first month, the Han people called Shangyuan Festival, a festival to celebrate the Lantern Festival, which has existed since ancient times.

/kloc-In July of 0/5, the Han people called Mid-Autumn Festival ancestor worship festival.

10 On June 5438+05, the Han people called the Next Yuan Festival as a cold food to commemorate the sages.

The Mid-Autumn Festival lanterns and Taoist prayers are traditional folk customs of the Han nationality. Buddhism and Taoism have different interpretations of the significance of this festival. Buddhism emphasizes filial piety. Taoism focuses on creating "Purdue" for those ghosts released from the underworld.

July 15 is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is an ancient traditional festival, 65438+ 10, 65438+15.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a Taoist festival. Taoism believes that "Sanyuan" is another name for "Three Officials". Shangyuan Festival, also known as Shangyuan Tianguan Festival, is the birthday of Emperor Wei Zi and wishes Tianguan in Shangyuan. Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as "Mid-Autumn Festival for Officials", is the birthday of Qing Xu, an official who pardoned crimes in the mid-Yuan Dynasty. The next Yuan Festival, also known as "Xiayuan Water Street", is the birthday of Emperor Yin, in the official cave of Xie 'er Shuiguan in Xia Yuan. The official scripture of Taishang Lao San said, "God bless the people, local officials forgive sins, and water officials help." During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Taoist temples such as Di 'anmen Fire Temple and Baiyun Temple outside Xibianmen held activities of "praying for good weather, prosperity and peace" as usual.

On this day, Buddhists will hold a grand Bones Meeting, also known as Bones Hall and Bones Festival. In the late Qing Dynasty, there were more than 840 temples in Beijing. Temples with conditions, such as Guangji Temple, Fayuan Temple, Huadian Temple, Guanghua Temple, Jiaxing Temple and Changchun Temple, are held in different scales. Since the Republic of China, Beihai Park, Zhongshan Park Concert Hall and other places have held a "memorial ceremony for fallen soldiers" at this time every year. Three Buddhist scriptures, Fan (Lama), Tao (Taoism) and Zen (Buddhism), were presented to the memorial tablet of "Soldiers killed on land, sea and air" for public sacrifice.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, old Beijing will hold activities such as shipbuilding, playing lotus lanterns, playing lotus lanterns, worshipping ancestors and singing "scenery plays".

Legend of Mid-Autumn Festival

There are three legends about Mid-Autumn Festival.

The first statement: According to legend, the Tibetan Bodhisattva, also known as terror, came to the underworld after her mother's death and was locked in a cell, where she would suffer from all kinds of hell. Ksitigarbha bodhisattva is a dutiful son. Seeing his mother's pain, he had an affair on July 15, and asked the boy guarding the cell to secretly open the cell door and let her out. Who knows? It doesn't matter if the cell door is open. Those ghosts who run back to their hometown ask their families for money so that they can go back to live and get through their joints, hoping for an early afterlife. Later, people designated this day as Ghost Festival. On this day, people burn paper money and place offerings to show their respect for their deceased relatives.

The second statement: the most important thing in Taoism is that "in mid-July and early January, local officials promulgated the good and evil on earth, so Taoist priests chanted scriptures at night and hungry prisoners were released." In Yan Luowang, every year on the first day of the seventh lunar month, the gate of hell opens and a group of ghosts are released to the dead to enjoy people's sacrifices. On the last day of July, these ghosts must return to the underworld before the gate of hell closes again.

The third way of saying it: Buddhism's Blue Pot Festival originated from the story of "Mu Lian saved the mother" and came from the Tripitaka (Buddhism was introduced to India). The story of Mulian saving his mother: among the disciples of the Buddha, the incarnation of the Buddha, the venerable, mourned for his dead mother. He used his magical power to see the karma of her mother's greed before her death, and after her death, she degenerated into an evil ghost and lived a life without food. Mu Youlian then turned it into food with divine power and gave it to her mother, but her mother did not change her greed. When she saw the food coming, she was deeply afraid that other evil spirits would take her food. The greedy food immediately turned into hot coal in her mouth and she couldn't swallow it. Although Mu Yu Lian has magical powers and is the son of human beings, she can't save her mother. She was in great pain. Where's Buddha? The Buddha said, "July 15th is the last day of summer, and the Buddhism is all good. On this day, all kinds of dishes are served to monks and nuns in the lane, and their merits are boundless, so that they can save lives with compassion. In accordance with the will of the Buddha, on July 15, Mulian presented a vegetarian feast of precious fruits to her mother with a blue flowerpot, and her mother finally got food. " This is the origin of "good brothers" in Purdue, Taiwan Province Province.

The custom of Mid-Autumn festival

1. Zhongyuan Purdue

From the position of the festival, Zhong Yuan is very important, because according to legend, this day is the day when ghosts go home and reunite in hell. Therefore, most people will offer sacrifices such as wine, meat, cakes and fruits to their ancestors on that day to express their grief for their deceased elders, and some people will pray for good luck. Of course, some monks will also be invited to chant Buddhist scripture and turn over for the dead soul, so that day can be described as frequent sacrificial activities.

2. Flow discharge lamp

Although the word "Ghost Festival" is scary, for most people, Ghost Festival is just a day to reunite with their ancestors, so it is also worth celebrating. So, in the past, lanterns were decorated, and even some river lanterns were put in the river. After all, people used to think that people were Yang, ghosts were Yin, the earth was Yang and water was Yin. The mysterious darkness under the water reminds people of the legendary nether world, in which ghosts sink. So Shangyuan lanterns are on land, and Zhongyuan lanterns are in water. Today, the custom of setting off river lanterns has become a common recreational activity.

Sacrifice land

In some areas, the Mid-Autumn Festival will also choose to worship the land, such as throwing sacrifices into the ground, or pouring a few glasses of wine, and then burning them with sacrificial paper. It is also necessary to wrap crops with cut colored paper and pray for good luck, bumper harvest and family happiness and stability. In some areas, people even go to temples to worship the land collectively. The scene is quite spectacular.

Send sheep-shaped cakes

The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is also called "Sheep Festival". Xu Shen said in Shuo Wen Jie Zi: "Sheep are auspicious." Oracle Bone Inscriptions's "Oracle Bone Inscriptions" is also called Yang Tongxiang. Obviously, in ancient times, sheep always represented good luck. In rural areas of old Beijing and northern China, on July 15, grandpa and uncle will send live sheep to their little nephew, which is very popular among the people. This custom is related to the legend that agarwood splits the mountain to save mother.

Hang a paper flag

Some areas have the custom of hanging paper flags, usually in front of their own houses. It is said that this can prevent insects and ants from biting the house. Of course, some people not only hang flags, but also fly kites to attract the attention of their ancestors, hoping to get together. Others will scatter some ashes at the door, form a circle, and then put sacrifices in it for worship.

6. Sacrifice by boat

Generally speaking, fishermen will make a boat with wooden boards on the Mid-Autumn Festival, and then put the names of their dead elders or the memorial tablets of some friends and brothers who died at sea on it. Then they will put clothes, things, shoes and even money into the boat and finally light candles. Married men will push the boat into the sea and try to watch.

Step 7 burn paper

The custom of burning paper is very popular in Sichuan province. They will stack all kinds of paper money together during the Mid-Autumn Festival, then seal them into smaller ones, and then write the recipient's name or nickname on them, because it has spread locally. The fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month is the day when the gate of hell opens, and all families should "send their children to Shigu". For example, in Chengdu, people tie a "flower tray" with paper, put paper money and fruit offerings in their hands, read out various sacrificial sentences when walking around the house, and then burn them outside.