The origin of the Mid-Autumn festival
The name "Central Plains" originated from the Northern Wei Dynasty and is a Taoist saying. According to ancient books, the fifteenth day of the first month of Daojing is "Shangyuan", and God blesses the people. July 15th is the "Central Plains", which is the day when local officials forgive sins. 1October 15 is "Xia Yuan", which is the day for water conservancy officials to help Eritrea. "The Book of Laws" records: "On the Mid-Yuan Day in July, the local officials fell, and the good and evil on earth were decided, so the Taoist priests chanted scriptures at night to save prisoners from hunger." Therefore, on July 15, people will prepare rich sacrificial ceremonies to worship local officials and their ancestors.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is the product of the combination of Taoism and traditional folk customs in China, which can correspond to each other, mainly based on the same world view: the three realms of heaven, earth and water are deified into three realms of government under the jurisdiction of the officials of heaven, earth and water. The so-called "Duke of Three Realms" refers to the three gods and three officials.
At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China, Taoism in Shi Tian had integrated the world outlook of the former Taoism, and for the first time, it was necessary to put the calligraphy of the three officials in heaven, earth and water to express repentance to the three officials and pray for peace. After the development of the Six Dynasties, the three-day meeting was combined with the ternary thought. Under the official advocacy of the Tang Dynasty, the three-day festival of Shangyuan, Zhongyuan and Xia Yuan became a three-day festival to pray for Naji and worship ancestors. The emperor led hundreds of officials to attend the festival ceremony. After the Tang and Song Dynasties, Sanyuan Festival became a folk festival.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Taoist temples such as the Fire Temple in Di 'anmen and the Baiyun Temple outside Xibianmen hold the "Dojo for Blessing Auspicious" as usual every year, in order to pray for "good weather, peace and prosperity". Because of fear, people combine Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism in their daily lives, and call the Mid-Autumn Festival on July 15th of the lunar calendar "Ghost Moon".
After the introduction of Buddhism, there is also a ritual of recommending ancestors in Buddhism, which is called "ULLAMBANA" (Indian word), also known as "Menglan Basin Society". Dream orchid basin means hanging upside down. The pain of life is like a bat hanging upside down from a tree, which is very miserable. In order to save all living beings from the suffering of hanging upside down, we must recite scriptures and give ghosts food. This coincides with China's worship of the ghost moon, and Buddhism also holds a prayer meeting on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month, so the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Dream Orchid Festival are handed down at the same time.
What food do you eat on Mid-Autumn Festival?
1, eat ducks, many places in the country will choose to eat ducks in July and a half, because ducks swim in the water, taking the meaning of their river lanterns to pray. There is also a saying that "duck" means "pressure", which is homophonic. Eating duck is to suppress the "soul", which is a bit far-fetched, because "duck" and "pressure" are different in many places. People in Dongguan usually eat duck stewed with lotus root.
2. In Guangdong, they will eat Seto powder on Mid-Autumn Festival, which means praying for peace. Seto powder is a local specialty snack, which is sold in food stalls all over Guangdong. There are many ways to eat Seto powder, and Cantonese people will also eat this kind of food on their birthdays, which has the implication of increasing happiness and longevity.
Before July 15th, folk women were still popular in dough making activities, especially in northern Shaanxi. At this time, there was a scene where buns and neighbors came to help. At this time, according to the actual number of people in the family, everyone is given a big bag. And different steamed bread has different kneading methods. The steamed stuffed bun for the younger generation should be kneaded into a flat shape, which is called a noodle sheep. I hope that the younger generation will not forget the kindness of their parents. For the older generation of flower buns, it is necessary to shape the image of adults, indicating that children and grandchildren are full and live a long life; Steamed buns for peers should be shaped like fish, called noodle fish, which means more than one year.
4. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, the Mid-Autumn Festival is to eat "jiaozi Cake", which is a kind of food similar to spring rolls, a traditional food and a traditional snack everywhere in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. They will also eat another food, called "flat food", which is actually a kind of wonton with thin skin and long and narrow shape.
In Ling Du County, Shandong Province, the Mid-Autumn Festival is called "pinch festival" by local people, and every family has the custom of eating humble meals. Rough tea and light rice come from Song and Huang Tingjian's Preface to the Poems of Four Rest Tutors: "Rough tea and light rice are full, cold and warm, full, greedy and jealous." Simple diet, simple life.
6. In Hebei, they will eat steamed noodles on Mid-Autumn Festival. On this day, they will bring some steamed sheep, fruit and wine to worship their ancestors, and then give them to their daughters and grandchildren. Some families are poor, so they use steamed noodles instead of sheep.
7. Burning paper in Mid-Autumn Festival, but pregnant women are forbidden to fold paper ingots. It is said that the paper ingots folded by pregnant women cannot be carried by ghosts after being burned, and it is also impossible to send them to the underworld. When setting off fireworks, the mage threw buns and fruits at the audience. Legend has it that a woman grabbed a steamed stuffed bun and had a child the next year. A child who robs steamed stuffed buns will never be afraid in his life. Ancestor worship in Anyuan County began on July 12, and incense and tea were burned in the morning and evening. On the fifteenth night, burn clothes and give paper money.
What's so particular about going to the grave during the Mid-Autumn Festival?
1, time is of the essence
From the perspective of geomantic omen in cemeteries, it is best to choose the time to sweep graves when the sun is strong. It is recommended to sweep the grave at noon, namely11-kloc-0/3, because this time period is the peak of yang in a day. It is best to finish the grave-sweeping worship before 3 pm, and it is most taboo to sweep the grave after 17 pm.
2, bouquet preparation
Since ancient times, white flowers have been the most common sacrifice for grave sweepers. In ancient times, chrysanthemum was regarded as a flower of sustenance, which meant missing and nostalgia. So white chrysanthemum is the most suitable flower for grave sweeping. If there are no special circumstances, it is best not to use flowers with bright colors and rich fragrance, so as not to give people the impression of disrespecting the dead.
3, grave-sweeping clothes
It is recommended not to choose black clothes when sweeping graves, so as not to provoke yin. But don't choose bright colors such as red or yellow, otherwise it will give people a feeling of disrespect for the dead. So it is better to choose plain clothes. In addition, it is recommended not to buy shoes, because "shoes" and "evil" are homophonic, and buying shoes will provoke evil spirits and affect fortune.
Step 4 sweep the grave
Before sweeping the grave, all the weeds on the grave should be cut off, the periphery of the tomb should be trimmed, and then some new soil should be added to the grave for burial. Finally, incense paper should be burned and wine poured for sacrifice. Sacrifice steps: modify the cemetery-incense-meat-toast-worship-farewell. The order of sacrifice: father, mother, eldest son, eldest daughter, second son and second daughter. ...
Step 5 make a thorough suggestion
Avoid the peak of grave sweeping; Pay attention to what you carry with you; Parents with children should take good care of their children and prevent them from getting lost because of playing; Pay attention to fire prevention, ensure safety, make civilized sacrifices, and use flowers instead of burning paper money, incense sticks and setting off firecrackers for sweeping sacrifices, which is not only the best commemoration for relatives, but also reduces fire hazards.