On the Mid-Autumn Festival in China is a very ancient custom. According to historical records, as early as the Chou dynasty, the ancient kings had the sun in the vernal equinox, summer solstice Jide, Autumnal Equinox Festival month, the winter solstice Heaven customs. Their place of worship called on the altar to altar, on the altar, the Temple of Heaven. Grouped in the four corners. Beijing, the Ming and Qing emperors on the altar is the place on Festival. "Book of Rites" reads: "Son of Heaven spring Asahi, Qiu Xi months. DPRK and the DPRK, on the eve of the eve." On the eve of the eve of here, that means it is night worship the moon. This custom has not only pursued by the court and the upper nobility, with the development of society has gradually affected the folk.
在我国是一种十分古老的习俗。据史书记载，早在周朝，古代帝王就有春分祭日、夏至祭地、秋分祭月、冬至祭天的习俗。其祭祀的场所称为日坛、地坛、月坛、天坛。分设在东南西北四个方向。北京的月坛就是明清皇帝祭月的地方。《礼记》记载：“天子春朝日，秋夕月。朝日之朝，夕月之夕。”这里的夕月之夕，指的正是夜晚祭祀月亮。这种风俗不仅为宫廷及上层贵族所奉行，随着社会的发展，也逐渐影响到民间。
On rumored ancient folk worship ugly no salt, pious worship during childhood on, grow up to superior moral palace, but do not drive. A full moon on August 15, Son of Heaven to see her in the moonlight, feeling that her beauty is outstanding, after she was Queen, Mid-Autumn Festival on the resulting worship. Mid-Chang, to beauty, known for young girls worship it on, willing to "look like the goddess of the moon, face as bright moon."
相传古代齐国丑女无盐，幼年时曾虔诚拜月，长大后，以超群品德入宫，但未被宠幸。某年八月十五赏月，天子在月光下见到她，觉得她美丽出众，后立她为皇后，中秋拜月由此而来。月中嫦娥，以美貌著称，故少女拜月，愿“貌似嫦娥，面如皓月”。
The custom of scholars to celebrate the moon festival from months, serious joyous ritual became easy. Mooncake activities around the beginning of civil Wei and Jin Dynasties, but immature habits. The Tang Dynasty, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Wan Yue prevailed, read by many poets in the poem Ode to the Moon has. Until the time of Song, has formed a full moon in the activity center for the Mid-Autumn Festival Folk Festival, officially designated as Mid-Autumn Festival. And Chinese different from the Song moon is more a sense of things sad, often Teenage moon and new moon, Yu human events, even if moon night, the moon's clear light also could not conceal the Song of sadness.
赏月的风俗来源于祭月，严肃的祭祀变成了轻松的欢娱。民间中秋赏月活动约始魏晋时期，但未成习。到了唐代，中秋赏月、玩月颇为盛行，许多诗人的名篇中都有咏月的诗句。待到宋时，形成了以赏月活动为中心的中秋民俗节日，正式定为中秋节。与唐人不同，宋人赏月更多的是感物伤怀，常以阴晴圆缺，喻人情事态，即使中秋之夜，明月的清光也掩饰不住宋人的伤感。
But Song, the Mid-Autumn there is another form, that is, the joy of the Mid-Autumn Festival is secular: "Mid-Autumn Festival before, all shops are selling new wine, your family knot Taixie, homes on war accounted for restaurants Wan Yue, carousing heard a thousand miles away, play with sitting to dawn "(" Beautiful Dream to Tokyo "). Song of the Mid-Autumn Festival is a sleepless night, the night market open all night, Wan Yue visitors, Titan is not absolutely.
但对宋人来说，中秋还有另外一种形态，即中秋是世俗欢愉的节日：“中秋节前，诸店皆卖新酒，贵家结饰台榭，民家争占酒楼玩月，笙歌远闻千里，嬉戏连坐至晓”(《东京梦华录》)。宋代的中秋夜是不眠之夜，夜市通宵营业，玩月游人，达旦不绝。
Ming and Qing Dynasties, the result of the relationship between age, social life, highlighting the reality of utilitarianism, the festival, in the interests of a strong secular sentiment Yu, to "moon" as the center of the lyric and the myth of the literati tradition weakened, utilitarian worship, pray and secular feelings, aspirations of ordinary people form the main form of popular Mid-Autumn Festival. Therefore, the "civil Praying" become eager to join, recreation and well-being; to always focussed on.
明清之后，因时代的关系，社会生活中的现实功利因素突出，岁时节日中世俗的情趣俞益浓厚，以“赏月”为中心的抒情性与神话性的文人传统减弱，功利性的祭拜、祈求与世俗的情感、愿望构成普通民众中秋节俗的主要形态。因此，“民间拜月”成为人们渴望团聚、康乐和幸福;以月寄情。