Double Ninth Festival is an important traditional festival in China, scheduled on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month every year. The ancients believed that "nine" was a yang number, and two nines were mutually important, hence it was called "Chongyang" or "Chongjiu Festival". The Book of Changes records that "the yang line is nine", and nine is the largest yang number. On the ninth day of the ninth month, the sun and moon are both yang, and the two nines are mutually important, hence the name Chongyang. This calendar originated in the pre Qin period, took shape in the Han Dynasty, and was officially designated as a folk festival in the Tang Dynasty. It has been passed down to this day and carries rich cultural connotations such as climbing high, appreciating chrysanthemums, and respecting the elderly. It also leaves behind many touching historical stories.
As early as the pre Qin period, there was already a custom of offering sacrifices during the autumn harvest in September. The ancient people held ceremonies to worship the heavens and ancestors during the harvest of crops in September, thanking the heavens, earth, and ancestors for their gifts. This was the earliest prototype of the Double Ninth Festival. In the Han Dynasty, the customs of the Double Ninth Festival gradually became rich. According to the "Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital", palace officials in the Western Han Dynasty would wear cornel, eat bait, and drink chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in order to achieve longevity. At this time, Chongyang has gradually added the connotation of exorcism, disaster avoidance, and praying for health from the simple autumn harvest ceremony. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, literati and scholars began to climb high in Chongyang to admire chrysanthemums, recite poetry and literature, and the cultural atmosphere of festivals became increasingly strong.
Until the Tang Dynasty, the court officially designated the Double Ninth Festival as a folk festival, and climbing mountains, admiring chrysanthemums, and feasting became popular among the people. By 1989, China designated Double Ninth Festival as the "Respect for the Elderly Day", giving the festival the significance of respecting the elderly and filial piety.
Story 1
The most well-known historical story of the Double Ninth Festival is the legend of Huan Jing climbing high to avoid disasters. This story comes from the "Continuation of Qi Xie Ji" and is also the origin of the custom of climbing high and wearing dogwood on Double Ninth Festival. According to legend, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a young man named Huan Jing in Runan. The plague was rampant in his hometown of Ruhe, and the people fell ill and passed away one after another. Huan Jing's parents also unfortunately died in this disaster. Huan Jing, who was filled with grief, heard that there was an immortal named Fei Changfang in the distant mountains, who possessed divine powers and could dispel disasters and solve difficulties. So he bid farewell to his hometown and embarked on a journey to find a master. After going through countless hardships, he finally found Fei Changfang and became a disciple of the sect, devoting himself to learning magic.
Years later, Fei Changfang called Huan Jing in front of him and told him, "On the ninth day of September, your hometown will once again experience a major disaster. You should go back quickly and rescue the villagers." He handed Huan Jing a sachet and instructed him, "On the ninth day of September, let everyone in the village sew cloth bags, put cornel on their arms, climb up high mountains, drink chrysanthemum wine, and escape this disaster. Huan Jing dared not delay and immediately returned to his hometown. Following his master's instructions, he informed the entire village.
On the ninth day of September, Huan Jing led his fellow villagers to climb nearby mountains, wearing cornel and drinking chrysanthemum wine. When they came down the mountain in the evening, everyone returned to the village and found that all the chickens, dogs, cows, and sheep in their homes had died suddenly. Fei Changfang said that these livestock have borne the disaster for people. Only then did the people understand the principle of climbing high to avoid disasters. From then on, the custom of climbing high, wearing dogwood, and drinking chrysanthemum wine on the ninth day of September spread.
The ancients believed that Cornus officinalis had a strong odor and could repel mosquitoes, insects, and pathogens; Autumn chrysanthemum wine can cleanse the body and resist the cold of autumn. Although the legend has a mythological color, it reflects the wisdom of ancient people to climb high to avoid malaria and pay attention to hygiene and health during the peak of autumn epidemics.
Story 2
The custom of appreciating chrysanthemums in Chongyang cannot be separated from the story of Tao Yuanming in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Tao Yuanming loved chrysanthemums throughout his life, and on September 9th, chrysanthemums were in full bloom. One year during the Double Ninth Festival, Tao Yuanming's family was poor and had no alcohol to drink. He sat alone by the eastern fence, quietly admiring chrysanthemums. Just as he was feeling dejected, his friend Wang Hong sent someone to bring him fine wine. Tao Yuanming was overjoyed and immediately indulged in drinking among the chrysanthemums, lying drunk among the flowers. Later literati highly praised Tao Yuanming, and every time they went to Chongyang, they would imitate him by appreciating chrysanthemums and drinking alcohol, and write countless poems praising chrysanthemums. The famous line that has been passed down through the ages is' When the Double Ninth Festival comes, there will be chrysanthemums. '.
Chrysanthemums bloom in the autumn when flowers wither, symbolizing resilience and longevity. Appreciating chrysanthemums has gradually become an elegant activity during the Double Ninth Festival.
Food
In ancient times, there was a tradition of eating Chongyang cake in Chongyang. The homophone of "gao" is "gao", which means to rise step by step, to be healthy and long-lived. Legend has it that during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, folk people made flower cakes in Chongyang, decorated with dates and chestnuts, to worship their ancestors. Afterwards, the whole family shared the food. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the production of Chongyang cake became increasingly refined, and it was made by both the court and the people. There is a folk story that goes, in ancient times, there was a household where the elderly were weak all year round. Every ninth day of September, the children would steam Chongyang cake to offer to the elderly, hoping that their health would improve step by step and be healthy every year. This is also an early manifestation of Chongyang's culture of respecting the elderly.
The custom of wearing dogwood in Chongyang was particularly popular during the Tang Dynasty. In Wang Wei's famous poem "Remembering Shandong Brothers on September 9th", it is written about the scene of inserting dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival, with the line "Knowing from afar where the brothers have climbed high, one person is missing after inserting dogwood everywhere". The ancients believed that Cornus officinalis could expel insects and dampness, resist autumn coldness, and dispel evil spirits. In ancient times, during the Double Ninth Festival, people would pick dogwood and make sachets, which they would wear on their bodies or insert into their hair to pray for peace.
The core of Chongyang, from ancient times to drive away disasters and avoid calamities, gradually evolved into respecting and honoring the elderly. Autumn is the season when all things converge and plants and trees age. In ancient times, people associated the withering of plants and trees with human aging.
Therefore, on the day of Double Ninth, they felt grateful for the hard work of their elders and wished them a long life. In ancient times, the government would offer condolences to the elderly on the Double Ninth Festival, and the younger generations of the people would also visit their elders, presenting them with pastries and wine to express filial piety.
After thousands of years of changes, the color of the Double Ninth Festival, which used to ward off evil and prevent epidemics, has gradually faded. Climbing high and looking far, enjoying chrysanthemums and cakes, and respecting the elderly have become the core of the festival. Climbing high in autumn, overlooking the mountains and rivers, and relaxing the body and mind; Appreciating chrysanthemums, drinking chrysanthemum wine, and experiencing the scenery of late autumn; A piece of Double Ninth Festival cake, carrying the blessings of younger generations to their elders.
The Double Ninth Festival is rooted in the Chinese agricultural civilization, from the pre Qin autumn harvest worship, to the ancient legend of Huan Jing climbing high, the literati's elegant act of Tao Yuanming appreciating chrysanthemums on the eastern fence, and the tradition of respecting the elderly that has been passed down from generation to generation. This festival embodies the Chinese people's perception of natural timing, their hope for peace and longevity, and the national virtues of respecting the elderly and filial piety. To this day, the Double Ninth Festival still reminds us to climb high and appreciate autumn, always be grateful, treat our elders well, and let this ancient culture continue from generation to generation.
