As one of the most traditional Chinese folk festivals, the Double Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month every year. As early as in ancient times, a series of customs and activities such as climbing mountains, admiring chrysanthemums, and planting dogwood trees on the Double Ninth Festival have been popular among the people. In today's society, the Double Ninth Festival has also been given the meaning of respecting the elderly. At the same time, the existence of a grateful heart is crucial on the Double Ninth Festival.
The historical origin of the Double Ninth Festival
As one of the traditional festivals of the Han nationality, the Double Ninth Festival is also known as Taqiu. The word "Double Ninth Festival" already existed before the pre-Qin Dynasty. According to "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals", in autumn at that time, crops were harvested in September. People will thank heaven, earth and their ancestors for their kindness and hold corresponding sacrificial activities. In the Han Dynasty, there were customs and cultures such as drinking chrysanthemum wine with dogwood in the stool. At the same time, various large-scale banquet activities were developed in the past. In the Ming Dynasty, in September, on the day of the Double Ninth Festival, everyone in the palace would eat flower cakes together to celebrate, and the emperor must go to the Long Live Mountain in person to climb up. It is still prevalent in today's life. On December 28, 2012, the ninth day of September each year was officially designated as the Senior Citizen's Day, so the Double Ninth Festival is also known as the Senior Citizen's Day.
The legend of the Double Ninth Festival
According to folklore records, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a plague demon in a river. As long as he appeared, someone in every family would definitely fall ill. , or people are dying here every day. People living nearby often suffer from it. Because of a plague, Hengjing's parents were taken away, and he himself almost died. Therefore, after he recovered from the illness, he said goodbye to his fellow villagers and wife to find a way to deal with the plague. After searching around, I finally found out that there was a particularly powerful immortal on the oldest mountain in the east. The aviation policeman was not afraid of difficulties and obstacles, and finally found the immortal with boundless magic power. The immortal was moved by his spirit, so he took him in and taught him a set of sword skills. On the eighth day of September, Hengjing returned to his hometown and led the people to the nearby mountains to get rid of the plague according to the method taught to him by the immortal. Since then, there has been September 9 Climbing.
Customs and Culture of the Double Ninth Festival
According to "Remembering Shandong Brothers on September 9th", the main custom of the Double Ninth Festival is climbing. Climbing high and looking far in autumn can make a person relaxed and happy, and achieve the purpose of fitness and getting rid of diseases. In addition, during the Double Ninth Festival, there has been a traditional custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine since ancient times. In ancient times, chrysanthemum wine was an auspicious wine used to pray for disaster relief. It was a fitness drink that was popular in the Ming Dynasty. There is one less person planted in dogwood trees. This ancient poem records the custom of planting dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival. Cornus officinalis can be used as medicine to make wine to maintain health and cure diseases. At the same time, wearing dogwood can also ward off evil spirits and seek good luck. Similarly, chrysanthemums can also be turned into hairpins and worn on the head, symbolizing good luck. In Nanjing City, Wuxi County. When the Double Ninth Festival comes, there is a custom of eating Double Ninth Cake, which is the most common Double Ninth Festival food among the Han people.