Why is it called Double Ninth Festival?

The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is the Double Ninth Festival in China. On that day, people climbed the mountain to look far, drank a pot of chrysanthemum wine, or planted dogwood everywhere, enriching the connotation of the festival with different activities.

Why is it called Double Ninth Festival?

Because in China's ancient classic Book of Changes, "six" is defined as yin number and "nine" is defined as yang number. On September 9, the sun and the moon are both sunny and double, so it is called Chongyang, also known as Chongyang Festival. Because there is a folk festival custom of climbing on that day, it is also called climbing festival; Because there are folk festivals of inserting dogwood and enjoying chrysanthemums, they are also called dogwood festival and chrysanthemum festival. In modern times, it has become a legal "festival for the elderly".

Nowadays, the Double Ninth Festival has been given a new meaning. 1989, China designated September 9th as the festival for the elderly. The combination of tradition and modernity has become a festival of respect, care and help for the elderly.

First, the introduction of Double Ninth Festival.

Long overdue.

The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is the Double Ninth Festival, also known as Cornus Festival and Chrysanthemum Festival. This is a very old festival with a history of 1700 years. Usually in October of the solar calendar.

About naming

Because the ancient Book of Changes defined "six" as yin number and "nine" as yang number, on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the sun and the moon merged with each other, so it was called "Chongyang", also called "Chongyang".

About meaning

1989, China designated the ninth day of the ninth lunar month as the festival for the elderly. The ingenious combination of tradition and modernity makes the Double Ninth Festival a festival to respect, love and help the elderly.

September also heralds the arrival of winter. The weather is getting colder and colder, and people need to prepare clothes to keep warm, so filial children miss their ancestors and use this day as a time to burn winter clothes for their ancestors. Therefore, the Double Ninth Festival has also become a festival to pay homage to the deceased relatives.

Second, the origin of the Double Ninth Festival

There are three theories about the origin of the Double Ninth Festival. The first one comes from the fact that the number of nine Yang in the Book of Changes is equal. The second argument is that before the pre-Qin period, there were activities of offering sacrifices to emperors and ancestors when crops were harvested in September. The third argument comes from the sacrificial ceremony, because there is still the custom of worshipping stoves on the Double Ninth Festival in southern China.

The formation, development and continuation of the Double Ninth Festival have a history of more than two thousand years. The origin of the Double Ninth Festival can be traced back to the ancient pre-Qin period. "Lushi Spring and Autumn Period. "Qiu Ji Ji" records: "(September) order the family to slaughter, plow the fields for harvest, and cite five essentials. The Tibetan emperor's book is collected in the holy warehouse, and I only respect it. " "It's the day, Great Emperor. I'll taste the sacrifice and tell the son of heaven." Through the record of this passage, we can find that when the crops were harvested in September, there were already activities to worship heaven and earth and ancestors. In addition, the word "Chongyang" appeared in the Warring States period. In Qu Yuan's Journey, there is a phrase "Gathering Chongyang into the Emperor's Palace". In the Tang Dynasty, the Double Ninth Festival was designated as a formal festival. Since then, during the Double Ninth Festival, the court and the people will organize various entertainment activities to celebrate the festival.

Third, the spread of the Double Ninth Festival.

According to legend, in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a well-connected Taoist named Fei Changfang. He studied Taoism for many years and finally lived forever. A young man named Huan Jing worships him and wants to learn Taoism with him. Fei Changfang accepted him as a disciple and taught him skills. Huan Jing also studies hard and practices hard.

One day, when Fei Changfang was climbing the mountain, he said to Huan Jing, "On the ninth day of September, there will be a great disaster in your home. You should go home early and get ready. " Huan Jing was very alarmed. He quickly knelt down and asked the master to teach him how to avoid disaster. Fei Changfang said, "On September 9, you should make more red cloth bags, put them in dogwood, wrap them in your arms, and bring some wine soaked in chrysanthemums for the whole family to drink on Gaopo. Only in this way can you avoid disaster. "

Hearing this, Huan Jing flew home and asked his family to do what the master asked. On the morning of the ninth day of September, Huan Jing took his family to the nearby Gaopo and spent the day safely. In the evening, Huan Jing went home with his family and took a look, which was a big surprise. The cows, sheep, chickens and dogs at home are all dead.

Since then, it has become a habit for Chongyang to climb the mountain, insert dogwood and drink chrysanthemum wine, which has been circulating for nearly two thousand years. People used to exorcise evil spirits in this way.

Fourth, the custom of the Double Ninth Festival.

There are many customs of the Double Ninth Festival, such as sunbathing, flying kites, climbing mountains, enjoying chrysanthemums and wearing dogwood in autumn. The Double Ninth Festival is a traditional festival in China, which falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. In modern times, the ninth day of September has been given a new meaning of respecting the elderly. Because "nine" is the largest number in numbers, and nine is an enduring homonym, so nine goes up to nine and nine goes up to nine, which contains a long, long and noble metaphor. In the folk concept, because "nine" is the largest number, and "nine nine" and "long" are homophonic, it is endowed with the meaning of immortality, longevity, health and longevity.

Climb the peak

Lunar New Year? June and autumn are crisp and suitable for sightseeing. Therefore, in the autumn of September, men, women and children like to travel and climb mountains at this time.

Climbing high can drive away bad luck. Promote and make a fortune. " This is why the ancients attached great importance to this traditional custom. People attach importance to mountain climbing, especially for the elderly, because people think that mountain climbing also means "longevity at the top of the mountain". In addition, people also think that mountain climbing can make people healthy and live longer.

Climbing the mountain in September is not only a pleasant and relaxing thing, but also a blessing to enjoy the beautiful scenery of nature. Climbing on the Double Ninth Festival became popular in the Tang Dynasty, and there were many poems related to climbing on the Double Ninth Festival in ancient times.

cornel

Cornus officinalis is an evergreen tree. This plant has a strong fragrance, and its fruit can be eaten or dried. Its leaves can be used as medicinal materials. Cornus officinalis has the effects of expelling worms, removing dampness, promoting digestion and reducing fire. In spring, it blooms purple flowers and then begins to bear fruit. Autumn bears purple-brown, sour, wrinkled and soft fruit.

fly a kite

Kites are similar to kites. According to the traditional custom in China, people usually fly kites in Tomb-Sweeping Day. But it's rainy season in Tomb-Sweeping Day, so it's not suitable for flying kites. In contrast, the Double Ninth Festival, which is crisp in autumn, is most suitable for flying kites outdoors.

Finally, relax. Appreciation of a poem

Vacation in the mountains reminds me of my brothers in Shandong.

(Tang-Wang Wei)

As a stranger in a foreign land,

Please think twice about your relatives during the festival.

Know where the brothers climb,

There is a man missing from the dogwood.

Since ancient times, there have been many stories related to the Double Ninth Festival, such as Li Qingzhao's Drunk Flowers and Shadows, Meng Haoran's Passing Old People's Village, and Wang Bo's Nine Days in Shu. This poem by Wang Wei is the most familiar to everyone. This poem describes the homesickness of a wanderer. At the beginning of the poem, I cut into the theme and wrote about the loneliness and sadness of living in a foreign land. Therefore, I always miss my hometown and people, and I miss them even more when I meet a festive occasion. Then the poem jumps to writing a brother who is far away from home. When they climbed the mountain according to the custom of the Double Ninth Festival, they also missed themselves. Poetry jumps repeatedly, implicative and deep, simple and natural, tortuous and changeable. Among them, "I miss my relatives twice during the festive season" is a famous sentence throughout the ages.

Drunk shadows * fog, clouds, sorrow, forever.

(Song-Li Qingzhao)