The ninth day of September is the Double Ninth Festival.
The Double Ninth Festival is a traditional Chinese folk festival. The festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month every year. The number "nine" is a yang number in the "Book of Changes", and the two yang numbers "nine-nine" coincide with each other, so It is called "Double Ninth Festival" because the sun and moon both coincide with the ninth day, so it is also called "Double Ninth Festival". Jiujiu returns to his true nature and the One Yuan begins. The ancients believed that the Double Ninth Festival is an auspicious day.
In ancient times, people had customs such as climbing high to pray for blessings, worshiping gods and ancestors, and drinking banquets to pray for longevity during the Double Ninth Festival. These customs have been passed down to this day, and connotations such as respecting the elderly have been added. Climbing high to appreciate the autumn and being grateful and respectful to the elderly are today's Double Ninth Festival activities. two important themes. The Double Ninth Festival has been a mixture of various folk customs in its historical development and evolution, carrying rich cultural connotations.
Festival Meaning
Respecting the elderly is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation. The Double Ninth Festival embodies the deep affection and everlasting national style of the Chinese nation from generation to generation. In folk customs, "nine" is the largest number, which means longevity and longevity. It expresses people's blessings for the elderly's health and longevity. On May 20, 2006, the Double Ninth Festival was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists.
The ninth day of the ninth lunar month every year is also one of the four traditional ancestor worship festivals in China. The Double Ninth Festival had already been formed as early as the Warring States Period. In the Tang Dynasty, the Double Ninth Festival was officially designated as a folk festival. Since then, all dynasties have celebrated the Double Ninth Festival. It has been followed through the ages to this day. Both the Double Ninth Festival and the "Spring Outing" on the third day of March are full of family members. On the Double Ninth Festival, all relatives must climb up together to "avoid disasters."