Why do we eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival? Who does the Mid-Autumn Festival commemorate?

Why do we eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival? Who does the Mid-Autumn Festival commemorate?
Introduction: The Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival of reunion in our country, and many festivals have their own meanings. So why do we eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival? Who is the Mid-Autumn Festival commemorating? Mr. Shui Mo has carefully compiled detailed information about the eighth month of the lunar calendar in 2018. If you want to know the auspicious and inauspicious days in the eighth month of the lunar calendar, please go to Mr. Shui Mo.

Why do we eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival?

It is said that eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival began in the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, the vast majority of people in the Central Plains could not bear the cruel rule of the Yuan Dynasty's ruling class, and they rose up in rebellion against the Yuan Dynasty. Zhu Yuanzhang united various resistance forces to prepare for an uprising. However, the court officials and soldiers searched very closely, making it very difficult to pass on information. Military counselor Liu Bowen came up with a plan. He ordered his subordinates to hide a note with the words "Revolt on the night of August 15th" inside the cakes, and then sent people to deliver them to the rebel forces in various places, informing them to revolt on the night of August 15th. On the day of the uprising, all the rebel forces responded together.
Soon, Xu Da captured the Yuan capital and the uprising was successful. When the news came, Zhu Yuanzhang was so delighted that he immediately issued an oral order, allowing all soldiers and civilians to celebrate the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival together. He also rewarded his ministers with moon cakes, which were used to secretly convey information when he started the uprising. Since then, the production of moon cakes has become more sophisticated and there are more varieties. After that, the custom of eating mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

Who is the Mid-Autumn Festival commemorating?

In ancient times, there were ten suns in the sky at the same time, which dried up the crops and made people live in misery. A hero named Houyi, who had great strength, sympathized with the suffering people, so he drew his magic bow, shot down more than nine suns in one breath, and ordered the last sun to rise and set on schedule to benefit the people. Houyi's wife was named Chang'e. In addition to teaching skills and hunting, Houyi spent all his time with his wife. Many aspiring young men came to learn from him, and the evil-minded Peng Meng also joined in.
One day, Houyi went to Kunlun Mountain to visit friends and seek the truth, and asked the Queen Mother for a packet of elixir of immortality. It is said that after taking this medicine, one can immediately ascend to heaven and become an immortal. However, Houyi was reluctant to leave his wife, and temporarily gave the elixir of immortality to Chang'e for safekeeping. Chang'e hid the medicine in the treasure box on the dressing table. Three days later, Houyi led his disciples out hunting. Pengmeng, who had ulterior motives, pretended to be sick and did not go out. Shortly after Houyi led everyone away, Peng Meng broke into the backyard of the inner house with a sword and forced Chang'e to hand over the elixir of immortality. Chang'e knew that she was no match for Peng Meng, so in the critical moment she turned around, opened the treasure box, took out the elixir of immortality and swallowed it in one gulp. After Chang'e swallowed the medicine, her body immediately floated off the ground, rushed out of the window, and flew into the sky. Because Chang'e was worried about her husband, she flew to the moon closest to the earth and became an immortal.
In the evening, Houyi returned home and the maids cried and told him what had happened during the day. Houyi was both shocked and angry, he drew his sword to kill the villain, but Pengmeng had already escaped. Houyi was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet. He was heartbroken and looked up at the night sky calling for Chang'e. At this time, he found that the moon today was exceptionally bright, and there was a swaying figure that looked like Chang'e. Hou Yi missed his wife, so he sent people to Chang'e's favorite back garden, set up an incense table, and put the honey and fresh fruits that Chang'e usually liked to eat on it, to offer a remote sacrifice to Chang'e in the Moon Palace. When the people heard the news that Chang'e had ascended to the moon and become an immortal, they set up incense tables under the moon and prayed to the kind-hearted Chang'e for good fortune and peace. From then on, the custom of worshiping the moon on Mid-Autumn Festival spread among the people.

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