The origin of the Double Ninth Festival is based on the legend of the Eastern Han Dynasty. According to legend, demons come out to harm people every September 9, so a young man scares away the demons with the smell of chrysanthemum wine and dogwood. Young people also climb to high places to avoid the devil's pursuit and protect the peace of their families. Therefore, climbing on the Double Ninth Festival, drinking chrysanthemum wine and wearing dogwood have been handed down.
You need to drink chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival, because the ancients thought that drinking chrysanthemum wine could prolong life. Climbing high, wearing dogwood and chrysanthemum is also to eliminate diseases and disasters, which reflects people's beautiful expectations for the Double Ninth Festival. In addition to these customs, you can also eat Chongyang cake and enjoy chrysanthemums on the Double Ninth Festival, and even hold activities such as ancestor worship in some areas.
What are the customs of the Double Ninth Festival?
In ancient times, Chongyang had the folk custom of climbing, so Chongyang Festival was also called "Climbing Festival". According to legend, this custom began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. There are many climbing poems written by scholars in the Tang Dynasty, most of which are the custom of writing the Double Ninth Festival. Du Fu's Seven Laws "Ascending the Mountain" is a famous article about climbing the mountain in Chongyang. There is no uniform rule for climbing mountains. Generally, we climb mountains and towers. There is also the custom of eating "Chongyang cake".
Second, eat Chongyang cake.
According to historical records, Chongyang cake, also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake and five-color cake, is made randomly. It was the original intention of the ancients to make cakes at dawn on September 9. The child put a cake on his head and said a word in his mouth, wishing the child all the best. Exquisite Chongyang cake should be made into nine layers, like a pagoda, with two lambs on it, which conforms to the meaning of Chongyang (sheep). Some people even put red paper flags on Chongyang cakes and light candles. This probably means "lighting a lamp" and "eating cakes" instead of "climbing", and using a red paper flag instead of dogwood. At present, there is still no fixed variety of Chongyang cake, and the soft cakes eaten around Chongyang Festival are called Chongyang cakes.