The custom of planting dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival comes from mythological stories, which means to ward off evil spirits.

People wear dogwood on their arms, grind it into sachets, and even put it on their heads. Most of them are worn by women and children, and in some places men also wear them. The custom of wearing dogwood on Double Ninth Festival was very popular in the Tang Dynasty. In addition to wearing dogwood, some people also wore chrysanthemums on their heads. This was already the case in the Tang Dynasty and has been popular in all dynasties.

In ancient times, during the Double Ninth Festival, people had customs such as climbing high to pray for blessings, going on autumn outings to appreciate chrysanthemums, wearing dogwood trees, worshiping gods and ancestors, and having banquets to pray for longevity. It has been passed down to this day, and connotations such as respecting the elderly have been added. Enjoying a banquet on the Double Ninth Festival, being grateful and respecting the elderly, climbing high to appreciate the autumn, and being grateful and respectful to the elderly are the two important themes of today's Double Ninth Festival activities.

Origin of the custom

According to legend, in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a young man named Huan Jing in the village. He led the villagers to farm and work together, and the village was harmonious and beautiful. However, every September on the ninth day of the lunar month, clouds would gather in the west of the village, and a plague demon would emerge from the dark clouds. The plague demon breathed poisonous gas into the village, and everyone in the village fell, including Huan Jing. When Huan Jing woke up, he found that his parents had been poisoned to death. He was so sad and angry that he vowed to get rid of the cancer and avenge his parents.

So Huan Jing left his hometown and went to the Immortal Mountain to become an apprentice. He was angry all the way, wading through mountains and rivers, wearing shabby clothes, and climbing up a thousand stairs of the Immortal Mountain. Finally, he was moved by the immortal, who was willing to accept Huan Jing as his disciple. And taught him how to get rid of the plague demon. Huan Jing studied hard for more than ten years and finally found a way to eliminate cancer. When leaving the fairy mountain, the immortal told Huan Jing that when the plague comes, he must remember to fill the village with vegetables.