What is the Double Ninth Festival also called? What are the customs and activities of the Double Ninth Festival?

What is the Double Ninth Festival also called? What are the customs and activities of the Double Ninth Festival?
What is the Double Ninth Festival also called? The Double Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of every year. It is one of the more important sacrificial festivals in China. So, what are the customs and activities of the Double Ninth Festival? The ninth month of the lunar calendar brings you not only the fragrance of golden osmanthus, but also a pleasant short holiday. In the ninth month of the lunar calendar, learn about the beauty of late autumn with Shuimoxiansheng.com.

What is the Double Ninth Festival also called?

The Double Ninth Festival is also called "Respect for the Aged Day" and "Old People's Day". The ancients believed that the Double Ninth Festival was an auspicious day. In ancient times, people had the customs of climbing high places to pray for blessings, going on autumn outings to appreciate chrysanthemums, wearing dogwood, worshiping gods and ancestors, and having banquets to pray for longevity on the Double Ninth Festival. It has been passed down to this day, and the meaning of respecting the elderly has been added. On the Double Ninth Festival, people enjoy banquets and celebrations to express gratitude and respect the elderly. The Double Ninth Festival has incorporated various folk customs in its historical development and evolution, and carries rich cultural connotations. In folk beliefs, "nine" is the largest number, implying longevity, and is a symbol of people's blessing for the health and longevity of the elderly. In 1989, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month was designated as "Respect for the Aged Day" to encourage the whole society to establish a culture of respecting, honoring, loving and helping the elderly. On May 20, 2006, the Double Ninth Festival was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list by the State Council.

What customs and activities are there on the Double Ninth Festival?

In the poem “Remembering My Brothers in Shandong on the Ninth Day of the Ninth Month”, “I know my brothers are climbing high places, but there is one less person wearing dogwood branches,” the two customs of the Double Ninth Festival are mentioned - climbing high places and wearing dogwood branches. In addition to climbing heights and inserting dogwood, there are other customary activities, such as appreciating chrysanthemums, flying kites, etc. The custom of climbing heights on the Double Ninth Festival has a long history. In ancient times, people had the custom of climbing heights on the Double Ninth Festival, so the Double Ninth Festival is also called the "Climbing Festival." The custom of climbing mountains on Double Ninth Festival originated from the climatic characteristics of this time and the ancient people's worship of mountains. Climbing high to "bid farewell to the green" also originates from the solar terms in nature. Climbing high to "bid farewell to the green" on the Double Ninth Festival corresponds to the ancient people's spring outing in March. The custom of "climbing mountains to pray for blessings" was popular during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. There is no uniform regulation on the place of climbing. The places to be climbed can generally be divided into climbing mountains, climbing buildings, or climbing platforms. There are four main reasons for the custom of climbing high mountains: first, it comes from the ancient people's worship of mountains; second, it comes from the climate of "clear air rising and turbid air sinking"; third, it comes from climbing high to "say goodbye to green"; and fourth, it comes from an absurd legend that "Huan Jing climbed the mountain to avoid disaster." Wearing Dogwood In ancient times, it was a custom to wear dogwood on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, so it is also called the Dogwood Festival. Cornus officinalis is a fruit that can be used as a traditional Chinese medicine. Because the cornus officinalis produced in Wu and Yue (now the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas) is of the best quality, it is also called Evodia rutaecarpa. The ancients believed that climbing mountains and inserting dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival could repel insects, dampness and wind evil. So people wore dogwood on their arms, ground it into powder and put it in sachets, or inserted it on their heads. Most of them are worn by women and children, and in some places men also wear them. Cornus officinalis can be used as medicine to make wine to nourish the body and cure diseases. Inserting dogwood and wearing chrysanthemums in the hair were already very common in the Tang Dynasty. Cornus officinalis has a strong fragrance and has the effects of improving eyesight, refreshing the brain, removing heat, repelling insects, removing dampness, and expelling wind evil. It can also eliminate food stagnation and treat cold and heat. Ancient customs such as inserting dogwood are behaviors that people engage in while climbing mountains to ward off evil spirits. On the Double Ninth Festival, clear air rises and turbid air sinks. People use natural medicines such as dogwood to adjust their physical health and adapt to natural climate changes. Appreciating Chrysanthemums On the Double Ninth Festival, there has always been a custom of appreciating chrysanthemums, so it has been called the Chrysanthemum Festival in ancient times. The custom of appreciating chrysanthemums originates from chrysanthemum culture. Chrysanthemum is a natural flower. Because of its colorful flowers and the fact that it blooms in defiance of frost, a chrysanthemum culture of appreciating and praising it has been formed. The ninth month of the lunar calendar is commonly known as the Chrysanthemum Month. Chrysanthemum festivals are held during this festival and crowds of people from all over the city attend to appreciate the chrysanthemums. Since the Three Kingdoms and Wei and Jin Dynasties, it has become a fashion to gather together on the Double Ninth Festival to drink, appreciate chrysanthemums and write poetry. In ancient Chinese customs, chrysanthemums symbolize longevity. Chrysanthemum is a flower of longevity and is praised by writers as a symbol of unyielding spirit in the face of frost. Flying kites Flying kites is the main custom of celebrating the Double Ninth Festival in the South. The main feature of the Double Ninth Festival among the people is flying kites. The Guangxu "Huizhou Prefecture Records" also recorded this. Kite is also known as kite today. In folk tradition, in addition to climbing mountains, flying kites is also a special feature of the Double Ninth Festival.

As the saying goes, "Thirty years in the east, thirty years in the west", no one's fortune will be smooth sailing, but will change with time. If you want to know the direction of your fortune, just click on the [Quality Test] below to take a look!

<<:  Is August 30th of the lunar calendar in 2019 suitable for opening a new store?

>>:  What is the zodiac sign of people born on Double Ninth Festival in 2019? Can you celebrate your birthday on Double Ninth Festival?

Recommend

Is the 22nd day of the first lunar month in 2018 suitable for opening a business?

Chinese people pay attention to good luck when doi...

Where is the God of Happiness on September 25, 2020?

Where is the God of Happiness on September 25, 20...