What did the ancients call the autumn equinox?
The autumnal equinox used to be the traditional "Moon Festival", and the moon altar in Beijing was the place where the emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties sacrificed the moon. The Book of Rites says: "The son of heaven is sunny in spring and autumn is in the evening. The DPRK, the evening of the moon. " Later, people moved the festival of offering sacrifices to the moon to the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In this regard, folk expert Xiao Fang explained that after the Han and Tang Dynasties, people's attitude towards the moon changed in two directions: first, the moon was regarded as a magical celestial body, making it a purely aesthetic and emotional object; The second is to personify the moon, gradually expand the connotation of its worship, and combine it with folk festivals.
The ancient custom of autumnal equinox
Because it is related to harvest, people have attached great importance to the autumnal equinox since ancient times. Its customs are not only related to specific solar terms, but also related to harvesting and praying for health.
In the autumn equinox every year, people will play the game of "vertical eggs". This game is simple and interesting: choose a smooth and symmetrical fresh egg and gently stand on the table. The winner is king.
Some places also pay attention to "eating autumn vegetables at the autumnal equinox". "Autumn vegetable" is a kind of wild amaranth, which is usually cooked with fish fillets, called "autumn soup". From the autumn of the year, people take this opportunity to pray for peace and prosperity at home.