Double Ninth Festival

The Origin of Chongyang Festival The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditiona

l 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. That's why ancient Chinese began to celebrate this festival long time ago.

The Custom

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.

Some people are climing the mountain on this day.It means that they will g

o up next year

eat Chongyang 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.

What delicious food!They are the Double Ninth Gao .Do you want to have a

taste?

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

enjoy the flourishing chrysanthemum

drink chrysanthemum wine

In 1989, the Chinese government decided the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors' Day. Since then, all government units, organizations and streets communities will organize an autumn trip each year for those who have retired from their posts. At the waterside or on the mountains, the seniors will find themselves merged into nature. Younger generations will bring elder ones to suburban areas or send gifts to them on this day. 

On this day,the pupils of our school went to the nursing home for the aged and sent many cards made by themselves to the old man.Look! Their wonderful performance make the old men feel happy.Did you give your best regards to the old men around you?

A story about Chongyang Festival

• It is said long ago there appeared a devil of plaguein the Ruhe River. People lay down and died wherever it came up. A boy named Heng Jing swore to help his neighbors and fellow people to get rid of it. He visited many famous mountains to seek a powerful master. Finally an old Taoist took him in and taught him how to defeat the devil. Heng Jing put his whole heart into study and practice.

• One day, the Taoist called him up and said, 'Heng Jing, tomorrow is the 9th day of September and the devil will reappear. It is time for you to go home and stop the devil.' The master also gave him a pack of leaves of Cornus and a jar of liquor soaked with chrysanthemums. Riding a crane, Heng Jing went a great distance back home in a day. As instructed by his master, he told his fellow villagers to climb up the nearby mountain with a Cornus leaf pinned on their clothes and a glass of chrysanthemum liquor in hand.

When the devil of plague came up from under the water, it got dizzy by the scent of Cornus and chrysanthemums. Heng Jing fought with his master's sword and killed the devil in a few rounds. People held parties, drank chrysanthemum liquor to celebrate it. And the next year, the custom of mountain climbing became popular among the villagers.

• In the golden September, chrysanthemum blooms, reminding people of the folktale. And later a special cake with dates, chestnuts and meat was made to add more festivity to the special day.

A famou Tang Dynasty poem about Chongyang Festival

　九月九日忆山东兄弟 （ 王维）Thinking Of My Brothers On Mountain-climbing Day独在异乡为异客 All alone in a foreign land,每逢佳节倍思亲 I am twice as homesick on this day遥知兄弟登高处When brothers carry dogwood up the mountain,遍插茱萸少一人 Each of them a branch but my branch missing.