Why do we eat sunshine cake on the Chongyang Festival?

The Chongyang cake is said to be derived from the ancient belief that the time of the 9th day of the 12th month, the weather is falling and the earth's gas is rising, the two gases of heaven and earth are intertwined, and the immoderate qi is pervasive. In order to avoid contact with the unhealthy gas, we must climb high mountains to avoid the evil of the 9th day of the 9th month. The Chongyang Festival can not climb high or do not want to climb high people, at home to eat cake. "Gao" word and "high" homophonic, symbolizing "step by step", "everything is high" meaning.

The four sayings of the Chongyang cake

Why is it popular to eat Chongyang cake on Chongyang Festival, there are about four sayings: one is to get rid of evil spirits to avoid disasters. Ming Xie Zhaozhi system in the "five miscellaneous chopping block" described: "September 9 when the sky is clear, to piece of cake on the children's forehead, can welcome the blessing to receive the auspicious, eliminate disasters and avoid evil"; two is "high" meaning, to "eat cakes "instead of" high "; three is the act of respect for the elderly, Jiangnan popular saying:" Chung Yeung do not eat cake, the old with the people told "; four is the blessing of the meaning of" Chung Yeung eat cake, everything high ".

The Legend of Eating Chongyang Cake on Chongyang Festival

Legend has it that Kang Hai, the scholar of the Ming Dynasty, was a native of Wugong in Shaanxi Province. He participated in the August in the countryside examination, lying sick in Chang'an, August after the decree release list, the report of the newspaper son part-time to send this happy news to Wugong, but at this time Kang Hai has not yet arrived at home. No one at home to pay the reward, the newspaper refused to go, must wait until Kang Hai back. When Kang Hai got well and came home, it was already the Chung Yeung Festival. At this time he sent the newspaper, gave him the reward money, and steamed a pot of cakes for his return trip as dry food. And steamed some more cakes to the neighbors. Because the cake was used to celebrate Kang Hai won the first prize, so later there are children in school family, also in the Chung Yeung Festival steamed cake distribution, for a good omen. This is how the custom of eating cakes on the Chongyang Festival spread.