Double Ninth Festival

      

The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival. It usually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar. In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing, or The Book of Changes, number "6" was thought to be of Yin character, meaning feminine or negative, while number "9" was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine or positive. So the number nine in both month and day create the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. Chong in Chinese means "double." Also, as double ninth was pronounced the same as the word to signify "forever", both are "Jiu Jiu," the Chinese ancestors considered it an auspicious day worth celebration. Thats why ancient Chinese began to celebrate this festival long time ago.

    Climbing Mountains

          

    The custom of ascending a height to avoid epidemics was passed down from long time ago. Therefore, the Double Ninth Festival is also called "Height Ascending Festival". The height people will reach is usually a mountain or a tower. Ancient literary figures have left many poems depicting the activity. Even today, people still swarm to famous or little known mountains on this day.

    Eating Double Ninth Gao

           

     On this day, people will eat Double Ninth Gao (or Cake). In Chinese, gao (cake) has the same pronunciation with gao (height). People do so just to hope progress in everything they are engaged in. There is no fixed ways for the Double Ninth Cake, but super cakes will have as many as nine layers, looking like a tower.

    Enjoy Chrysanthemum Flowers and Drinking Chrysanthemum Flower Wine

            

    The Double Ninth Festival is also a time when chrysanthemum blooms. China boasts diversified species of chrysanthemum and people have loved them since ancient times. So enjoying the flourishing chrysanthemum also becomes a key activity on this festival. Also, people will drink chrysanthemum wine. Women used to stick such a flower into their hair or hang its branches on windows or doors to avoid evilness.

    Flying a paper crane

           

     Paper crane is just kite. According to our traditions and customs, flying kites usually

 happen at the Qing Ming Festival. But Tormb Sweeping Festival is during the rainy season

 which obviously is not suit for flying a kite, while Double Ninth Day owns clear autumn sky

 and crisp air making kite flying a best outdoor activity.

Good sharing!

Even we do not have any vacation on this day, but it is an old festival since hundred of years.

Drinking Chrysanthemum Flower Wine alway let me to remind the Mr. Xu and the white nakes love story.:P

Thanks for reminding me, I have forgotten such an important festival.

Thanks for reminding me, I have forgotten such an important festival.

bo_xiao 发表于 2015-10-19 15:28

Remember to call family this day