The Mid-Autumn Festival originated in ancient times, became popular in the Han Dynasty, was finalized in the early Tang Dynasty, and became popular after the Song Dynasty. The Mid-Autumn Festival is a remnant of the ancient custom of worshiping celestial phenomena and respecting the moon. During the autumnal equinox, it is the ancient "Moon Sacrifice Festival". The Mid-Autumn Festival comes from the traditional "Moon Sacrifice Festival".
According to research, the "Moon Sacrifice Festival" was originally set on the "autumn equinox" of the 24th solar term in the Ganzhi calendar. However, since the date of this day in the eighth month of the lunar calendar is different every year, it does not necessarily have a full circle. Later, the "Moon Festival" was moved from the "autumn equinox" to the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. Sacrifice to the moon is a very ancient custom in our country. It is actually an activity of worshiping the "Moon God" by the ancients in some places in my country in ancient times.
Extended information:
Moon cakes symbolize reunion and should have been recorded in writing since the Ming Dynasty. If we look at the information about moon cakes and Mid-Autumn Festival folk customs in the Ming Dynasty, we should be able to see the historical trajectory of moon cakes meaning reunion: after worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the whole family would sit around and share moon cakes and fruits (moon offerings).
Because moon cakes are also round and shared by the whole family, moon cakes have gradually come to symbolize family reunion. In some places in Guangdong, there is a custom of worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, mainly for women and children. There is a common saying that "men do not worship the full moon, women do not worship the stove".
Among ethnic minorities, the custom of worshiping the moon is also popular. Folk customs during the Mid-Autumn Festival in areas south of the Yangtze River are also diverse. Nanjing people love to eat mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and they must also eat Jinling's famous dish of osmanthus duck with dancing fire dragon. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, people in Sichuan Province not only eat moon cakes, but also make cakes, kill ducks, and eat sesame cakes, honey cakes, etc.
Baidu Encyclopedia-Mooncake