About Chongyang Festival 重阳节, Chinese Double Ninth Festival
Chongyang Festival Origin
Chongyang Festival (重阳节 ; chóng yáng jié), one of the four traditional ancestor worship festivals in China, falls on the ninth day of the ninth month 历九 (Lunisolar) every year.
The number “Nine” is a Yang number in 《易经》. The two Yang numbers “Nine and Nine” overlap, so it is called the “Double Ninth Festival”; it is also called “Chongjiu 重九”.
Chongyang Festival originated from the worship of celestial phenomena. It began in ancient times, became popular in the Western Han dynasty, and flourished after the Tang dynasty.
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 Chongyang Festival. This has been passed down to the present day, and has added connotations such as respecting elders.
Chongyang Festival entrusts the blessings of health and longevity to the elderly, so it is also called “Elders’ Day”. However, in the history of the Chongyang Festival more than 2,000 years ago, it was only in the last few decades that the elderly became a group of major concern.
Harvest Festival
The Harvest Festival is the earliest form of the Chongyang Festival as an activity in ancient times. At the same time, there were also large-scale drinking and banquet activities, which were developed from the harvest banquet held in the pre-Qin dynasty. Worshiping gods and ancestors, praying for longevity, drinking, and banquets, are the basic contents of the Chongyang Festival.
Chongyang Festival Date
The Chongyang Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth month 农历 (Lunisolar) every year.
Other Names of the Chongyang Festival
Double Ninth Festival, Ancestor Worship Day (祭祖节), Mountain Climbing Day (登高节), Elders’ Day (老人节)
Chongyang Festival Traditions
Climbing Mountains/Higher Grounds (登高)
In ancient times, people used to climb high during the Chongyang Festival, hoping to drive away evil spirits, avoid disasters, and live a happy life.
Another saying about climbing high to pray is that after climbing high, people will feel their breathing is smoother and their spirits are better.
Worshiping Ancestors (祭祖)
The Chongyang Festival is a festival of ancestor worship. In ancient times, people had a tradition of worshiping ancestors and praying for blessings.
Admiring Chrysanthemums (赏菊)
There has always been a custom of admiring chrysanthemums on the Chongyang Festival, so it has also been called the Chrysanthemum Festival since ancient times. Since the Wei and Jin dynasties of the Three Kingdoms, enjoying chrysanthemums and writing poems at the Chongyang Festival has been fashionable.
Wearing Dogwood (茱萸)
In ancient times, people believed that planting dogwood on this part of the mountain could ward off insects, dampness, and evil winds. The ancient custom of planting dogwood is a folk practice to ward off wind and evil spirits when climbing mountains.
Autumn Sunbathing (晒秋)
Chongyang Festival is the best time to enjoy autumn. There are still some mountain villages in southern China that retain the characteristic of “autumn sunbathing”.
“Autumn sunbathing” is a typical agricultural custom. Villagers in mountainous areas, due to the complicated terrain and very little flat land in the village, have to use the front and back of their houses and the eaves of their windows to sunbathe or hang their crops.
Flying Paper Kites (放纸鸢)
Flying paper kites is one of the main customs during the Chongyang Festival in the south. At the Chongyang Festival, the purpose of setting up paper kites is to “shake off bad luck”.
Enjoy a Feast & Pray for Longevity (享宴祈寿)
On the Chongyang Festival, it is customary to enjoy a banquet to express people’s blessings for the health and longevity of the elderly. The large-scale drinking and feasting activities during the Chongyang Festival were developed from the festivals and feasts held to celebrate the harvest. Based on offerings to heaven and ancestors, longevity and feasting were added, which became the basis of the Chongyang Festival. To this day, the custom of holding banquets to honor the elderly and drinking banquets to analyze longevity is still popular in some places in southern China.
What to Eat on the Chongyang Festival?
Chongyang Cake (重阳糕)
Chongyang Cake (重阳糕 ; chóng yáng gāo) is also called flower cake (花糕), chrysanthemum cake (菊糕), and five-color cake (五色糕).
Chongyang Cake, “糕 (gāo) cake” and “高 (gāo) high” are homophones, meaning that the standard of living improves step by step, symbolizing family happiness and good fortune.
The shape of this type of cake is quite special and also means that it can bless the safety and prosperity of the family.
Chrysanthemum Wine (菊花酒)
There is a traditional custom of brewing and drinking chrysanthemum wine during the Chongyang Festival.
In ancient times, chrysanthemum wine was specially made on the Chongyang Festival of the first year for the Chongyang Festival of the following year.
On the 9th of the 9th month, the first blooming chrysanthemum flowers, green twigs and leaves, and other materials are picked to make wine, which will be drunk on the 9th day of the 9th month of the following year.
Chrysanthemum wine is considered auspicious wine that must be drunk during the Chongyang Festival in ancient times to ward off disasters and pray for blessings.
Mutton Noodles (羊肉面)
Mutton noodles are eaten during the Chongyang Festival. “羊 (yáng) Lamb” and “阳 (yáng) Yang” are homophonic, in accordance with the Chongyang Festival.
To eat white noodles, “white 白” is the word “one hundred 百” minus one ” 一” above, meaning one hundred minus one is ninety-nine, in accordance with the formula “nine-nine 九九”.
Chongyang Festival Taboos
Do not give chrysanthemums when visiting the elderly
Although there is also a custom of appreciating chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum wine during the Chongyang Festival, it is better not to give chrysanthemums when visiting the elderly. Because chrysanthemums were sacrificial flowers in ancient times, their meaning changed when given to the elderly.
Do not say Happy Chongyang Festival
In a year, we celebrate many festivals, both big and small, and we say Happy Holidays at each festival.
However, do not say this on the Chongyang Festival, because in the eyes of the ancients, this day is a day to avoid disasters. So people would say “安康 health/prosperity” on this day.
Do not stay at home
Usually, people go hiking on the Chongyang Festival, because in the eyes of the ancients, hiking on this day is good for the body. If you stay at home all the time, you won’t be able to breathe fresh air and will feel stuffy.
Chongyang Festival-Related Poems
《九月九日忆山东兄弟》唐朝・王维
“Jiǔ Yuè Jiǔ Rì Yì Shān Dōng Xiōng Dì” Táng Cháo · Wáng Wéi
独在异乡为异客，每逢佳节倍思亲。
dú zài yì xiāng wèi yì kè, měi féng jiā jié bèi sī qīn.
Being a stranger in a foreign land, I miss my family even more during the festive season.
遥知兄弟登高处，遍插茱萸少一人。
yáo zhī xiōng dì dēng gāo chù, biàn chā zhū yú shǎo yī rén.
I know from afar that when my brothers climb to high places, there is only one less person inserting dogwood.
《蜀中九日》 唐朝・王勃
“Shǔ Zhōng Jiǔ Rì” Táng Cháo · Wáng Bó
九月九日望乡台，他席他乡送客杯。
jiǔ yuè jiǔ rì wàng xiāng tái, tā xí tā xiāng sòng kè bēi.
On the ninth day of the ninth month, I look at my hometown from the terrace, and I give farewell wine to my guests in a foreign land.
人情已厌南中苦，鸿雁那从北地来。
rén qíng yǐ yàn nán zhōng kǔ, hóng yàn nà cóng běi de lái.
People are tired of the suffering in the south, so why do wild geese come from the north?
《九日齐山登高》 唐朝・杜牧
“Jiǔ Rì Qí Shān Dēng Gāo” Táng Cháo · Dù Mù
江涵秋影雁初飞，与客携壶上翠微。
jiāng hán qiū yǐng yàn chū fēi, yǔ kè xié hú shàng cuì wēi.
The autumn shadows are reflected on the river. The wild geese have just flown south. I bring wine to my friends and climb high to look into the distance.
尘世难逢开口笑，菊花须插满头归。
chén shì nán féng kāi kǒu xiào, jú huā xū chā mǎn tóu guī.
The troubles in the world are rare things that make people smile. I will put my head full of chrysanthemums blooming all over the mountain.
但将酩酊酬佳节，不用登临恨落晖。
dàn jiāng mǐng dīng chóu jiā jié, bù yòng dēng lín hèn luò huī.
You can just drink to your heart’s content to celebrate the Chongyang Festival and don’t worry about the setting sun.
古往今来只如此，牛山何必独霑衣。
gǔ wǎng jīn lái zhǐ rúcǐ, niú shān hé bì dú zhān yī.
Life is short and it has been like this for centuries. There is no need to cry alone in Niushan.
《九日送别》 唐朝・王之涣
“Jiǔ Rì Sòng Bié” Táng Cháo · Wáng Zhī Huàn
蓟庭萧瑟故人稀，何处登高且送归。
jì tíng xiāo sè gù rén xī, hé chù dēng gāo qiě sòng guī.
The courtyard of Ji is desolate and old friends are rare. Where should we go to see old friends?
今日暂同芳菊酒，明朝应作断蓬飞。
jīn rì zàn tóng fāng jú jiǔ, míng cháo yìng zuò duàn péng fēi.
Today we can drink fragrant chrysanthemum wine together, tomorrow we should be like broken tumbleweed flying.
《九日》唐朝・杜甫
“Jiǔ Rì” Táng Cháo · Dù Fǔ
重阳独酌杯中酒，抱病起登江上台。
chóngyáng dúzhuó bēi zhōng jiǔ, bàobìng qǐ dēng jiāngshàng tái.
On the Chongyang Festival, I drank alone in my cup and climbed the river and the stage despite my illness.
竹叶于人既无分，菊花从此不须开。
zhú yè yú rén jì wú fēn, júhuā cóngcǐ bù xū kāi.
Bamboo leaves have no meaning to people, and chrysanthemums no longer need to bloom.
殊方日落玄猿哭，旧国霜前白雁来。
shū fāng rìluò xuán yuán kū, jiù guó shuāng qián bái yànlái.
The black apes cry when the sun sets in a foreign land, and the white geese come before the frost in the old country.
弟妹萧条各何在，干戈衰谢两相催！
dìmèi xiāotiáo gè hézài, gāngē shuāi xiè liǎng xiāng cuī!
Where are the relatives who can’t see each other now? Wars are frequent and continuous, and time keeps pushing people towards death.
