As a part of seasonal sacrifice, the moon sacrifice ceremony was first included in the royal sacrifice ceremony and routine sacrifice. But with the passage of time, the people gradually lost the opportunity to worship the moon, because only the royal family can communicate with the god of heaven and earth, such as the sun and the moon, which represent yin and yang, and the sacrifice of the moon has become the patent of the royal family.
With the development of society, the custom of offering sacrifices to the moon has gradually influenced people. People began to worship the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival, imitating the rituals of ancient emperors worshiping the sun in spring and the moon in autumn. However, with the passage of time, the custom of enjoying the moon gradually replaced the sacrifice of the moon, and the solemnity of the sacrifice of the moon became a relaxed joy. The custom of appreciating the moon in Mid-Autumn Festival reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty, and many poets sang about history and the moon in their works. During the Song, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the imperial court and the people held grand Yue Bai and moon viewing activities.
Mid-Autumn Festival is an important ceremony in China traditional culture, and its specific significance is as follows:
1. Pray for family reunion and harmony: Mid-Autumn Festival is an important family reunion festival, and the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the moon is a way for people to express their desire for family reunion and harmony. By offering sacrifices to the moon, people hope that their families will get together, live in harmony and enjoy happiness.
2. Sacrifice to ancestors, heaven and land: Sacrifice to the moon ceremony is also an expression of respect and gratitude to ancestors. People believe that the souls of their ancestors will return to the earth in the Mid-Autumn Festival, so they worship their ancestors by offering sacrifices to the moon to show their respect and miss.
3. Recalling history and inheriting culture: The custom of offering sacrifices to the moon in Mid-Autumn Festival has a long history and carries rich historical and cultural connotations. Through the ceremony of offering sacrifices to the moon, people reminisce about history, remember their ancestors, and inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation.
4. Express reverence and gratitude for nature: Mid-Autumn Festival is also an expression of reverence and gratitude for nature. As a symbol of celestial bodies, the moon represents the power and order of nature. By offering sacrifices to the moon, people express their awe of nature and are grateful for the gift of nature.