Traditional Culture Encyclopedia - Traditional festivals - The Origin and Legend of Double Ninth Festival

The Origin and Legend of Double Ninth Festival

The origin of the Double Ninth Festival is in ancient times, and it exists as the primitive form of autumn harvest sacrifice. The legendary story is: climb the mountain to find nine calamus, and climb the mountain to bring back lightning and fire.

1, the origin of the Double Ninth Festival

The Double Ninth Festival is on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. The number of "Nine" is a positive number in the Book of Changes, and the two positive numbers of "Nine Nine" are heavy, so it is called "Chongyang"; It is also called "Double Ninth Festival", because both the date and the month conform to nine. Returning to the truth of 1999, the ancients thought that 1999 Chongyang was an auspicious day. In ancient times, there were customs such as climbing to pray for blessings, offering sacrifices to gods and ancestors, and drinking and praying for blessings. Inherited to this day, it has increased the connotation of respecting the elderly. Climbing mountains and enjoying autumn and giving thanks and respecting the elderly are two important themes of today's Double Ninth Festival.

2. Legendary stories

Climbing to find nine calamus: According to legend, the custom of climbing on the Double Ninth Festival began when Qin Shihuang ordered Zheng An, a warlock, to go to Lingnan to find the elixir of life. When Zheng An found Jiucalamus in Baiyun Mountain, he unfortunately fell off a cliff and was hoisted by a crane.

Climbing the mountain brings back the fire of thunder and lightning: the ancients thought that the mountains were shrouded in clouds and lived with dragons calling for thunder and lightning. Moreover, lightning in the mountains can bring kindling, and you can make a fire to eat cooked food with foul smell.

Folk activities of Double Ninth Festival

Appreciation of Chrysanthemum: Chrysanthemum is a natural flower, and its colorful colors and blooming in Ao Shuang form a chrysanthemum culture that appreciates and praises chrysanthemums. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties in the Three Kingdoms, it has become fashionable for Chongyang parties to drink and enjoy chrysanthemums and recite poems. In the ancient customs of China, chrysanthemum symbolizes longevity. Chrysanthemum is the flower of longevity, and is praised by scholars as the unyielding symbol of first frost.

Mountain climbing: In ancient times, there was a custom of climbing mountains on the Double Ninth Festival, so it was also called "Mountain Climbing Festival". Climbing is also a solar term originated from nature, and climbing on the Double Ninth Festival corresponds to the spring outing of ancient people in spring and March. There is no uniform regulation on the place of climbing, and the place of climbing is generally divided into mountain climbing, building climbing or platform climbing.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Double Ninth Festival