Double Ninth Festival
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The Double Ninth Festival (Chinese: 重九; pinyin: Chóngjiǔ or Simplified Chinese: 重阳, also Traditional Chinese: 重陽節; pinyin: Chóngyángjié or Chung Yeung Festival in Hong Kong), observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar (October 30 in 2006), is a traditional Chinese holiday, mentioned in writing since before the East Han period.
According to the I Ching, nine is a yang number; the ninth day of the ninth lunar month (or double nine) has too much yang (a traditional Chinese spiritual concept) and is thus a potentially dangerous date. Hence, the day is also called "Double Yang Festival" (重陽節). To protect against the danger, it is customary to climb a high mountain, drink chrysanthemum wine, and wear the zhuyu (茱萸) plant, Cornus officinalis. (Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are considered to have cleansing qualities and are used on other occasions to air out houses and cure illnesses.)
Double Ninth may have started out as a day to drive away danger, but like the Chinese New Year, over time it became a day of celebration. In contemporary times it is an occasion for hiking and chrysanthemum appreciation. Stores sell rice cakes (糕 "gāo", a homonym for height 高) inserted with mini colorful flags to represent zhuyu. Most people drink chrysanthumum tea, while a few strict traditionalists drink homemade chrysanthemum wine. Children in school learn poems about chrysanthemums, and many localities host a chrysanthemum exhibit. Mountain climbing races are also popular; winners get to wear a wreath made of zhuyu.
This is an often-quoted poem about the holiday:
"Double Ninth, Missing My Shandong Brothers" - Wang Wei (Tang Dynasty)
Original:
English:
- As a lonely stranger in the strange land,
- Every holiday the homesickness amplifies.
- Knowing that my brothers have reached the peak,
- All but one is present at the planting of zhuyu.
[edit] See also
- Qingming Festival, the other day of the year to pay respect to the dead.
