The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Moon Festival, Moonlight Birthday, Moon Eve, Autumn Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Moon Worship Festival, Moon Niang Festival, Moon Festival, Reunion Festival, etc., is a traditional Chinese folk festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena and evolved from the autumn eve of the ancient times. At first, the festival of "Jiyue Festival" was on the 24th solar term "autumn equinox" in the Ganzhi calendar. Later, it was adjusted to the 15th of the Xia calendar (lunar calendar). In some places, the Mid-Autumn Festival was set on the 16th of the Xia calendar. Since ancient times, the Mid-Autumn Festival has had folk customs such as worshipping the moon, admiring the moon, eating moon cakes, playing with lanterns, admiring osmanthus flowers, and drinking osmanthus wine.
The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times and was popular in the Han Dynasty. It was finalized in the early years of the Tang Dynasty and prevailed after the Song Dynasty. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a synthesis of autumn seasonal customs, and most of the festival factors it contains have ancient origins. The Mid-Autumn Festival uses the full moon to signify the reunion of people. It is a rich and precious cultural heritage for yearning for the hometown, the love of loved ones, and wishing for a good harvest and happiness.
Excerpted from Baidu Encyclopedia-Mid-Autumn Festival.