What is the custom meaning of Double Ninth Festival?

Double Ninth Festival, also known as Double Ninth Festival, is a traditional festival of Han nationality. Celebrating the Double Ninth Festival generally includes traveling to enjoy the scenery, climbing high and looking far, enjoying chrysanthemums, planting dogwood all over the place, eating double ninth cake, drinking chrysanthemum wine and other activities. The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is also the four traditional ancestor worship festivals in China.

Double Ninth Festival, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, is also called "Mountaineering Festival" because there is a folk custom of climbing mountains on this day. Because of the respect for the elderly in recent years, it is also called "Festival for the Elderly".

The custom of Double Ninth Festival

Appreciate the beautiful chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemum, also called yellow flower, belongs to Compositae and has many varieties. China is the hometown of chrysanthemum, and it has been common to cultivate chrysanthemum since ancient times. Chrysanthemum is the flower of longevity, and is praised by scholars as the unyielding symbol of first frost, so people love and praise it, so large-scale chrysanthemum exhibitions are often held. Chrysanthemum exhibition is naturally held in Chongyang, because the relationship between chrysanthemum and Chongyang is too deep; So Chongyang is also called Chrysanthemum Festival, and Chrysanthemum is also called Jiuhua. Chrysanthemum viewing has become an integral part of the custom of the Double Ninth Festival. In the Song Dynasty, "Dream of Tokyo" Volume 8: "In September, everyone enjoys chrysanthemums, and there are several kinds. Its yellow and white pistils are called "Wanning Chrysanthemum", pink ones are called "Peach Blossom Chrysanthemum", white ones are called "Muxiangju", yellow ones are called "Jinling Chrysanthemum" and pure white ones are called "Xirong Chrysanthemum". Everywhere. "

Climb the peak

The Double Ninth Festival is also called ascensiontide. There is no uniform rule for climbing mountains. Generally, we climb mountains and towers.

Of course, people climb mountains not only to climb mountains, but also to see the red leaves and wild flowers on the mountains and enjoy them by drinking and eating meat. This combination of climbing mountains and picnics is more attractive. For example, Sun Simiao in the Sui Dynasty said in the "Thousand Yue Jinfang Orders": "On the Double Ninth Festival, you must watch the wine and climb the mountain, and enjoy the autumn ambition with a feast. Wine must take dogwood and chrysanthemum, and you must drink it. " Remember that the customs of the Sui Dynasty are similar to those of later generations. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Meng Liang Lu published in five years: "The sun and the moon fly, hoping for Chongyang. ..... is the day when' Meng Jia went to Longshan to drop his hat and Yuanming went to Dongli to enjoy chrysanthemums', which is the story. " The first film of Han Yuanji's "The First Nine Days of Shuidiao Song" in the Southern Song Dynasty: "Today I am more important than nine, and I can't stand chrysanthemums. Try to find a high place and take a photo of Cui Wei hand in hand. Let your eyes shine on the pale cliffs of Wan Ren. Clouds will protect the frost at dawn, and you will know that I am coming with you. The ancient temple is leaning against bamboo, and the cornices are extremely sharp. " This paper describes the charm of chrysanthemum appreciation in Chongyang.

Pei dogwood praised chrysanthemum

The Double Ninth Festival has the custom of worshipping Cornus officinalis, so it is also called "Cornus officinalis Festival". Cornus officinalis is an important symbol of the Double Ninth Festival. People also like to wear chrysanthemums on the Double Ninth Festival. Cornus officinalis is nicknamed "evil-ward Weng" and chrysanthemum is also called "longevity-prolonging guest".

Cornus officinalis is a kind of fruit that can be used as medicine. Because the quality of Cornus officinalis produced in Wudi (now in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces) is the best, it is also called Evodia rutaecarpa, also called Moongum or Dwarf. It is a small evergreen tree, which can grow to more than ten feet high, with pinnate compound leaves and green and white flowers in early summer, as strong as pepper seeds. Mature after autumn. The fruit is yellow when tender and purple when ripe, which has the effects of warming the middle warmer, relieving pain and regulating qi. Cornus officinalis leaves can also cure cholera, and roots can kill insects. Compendium of Materia Medica says it is spicy and fragrant, warm in nature, and can cure cold and drive away poison. The ancients believed that wearing dogwood could ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters.

kite

Putting paper owls is the main custom of Huizhou people to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. In other words, the folk Double Ninth Festival in Huizhou is mainly characterized by paper flying kites. This practice is not only described in the folk songs circulating in Huizhou, but also described in Guangxu's Huizhou Fuzhi. Paper harriers are kites now, too. Kite is the title after the Five Dynasties. Five dynasties ago, the north used to call it a "paper kite" and the south used to call it a "kite". The appellation of "paper kite" in Huizhou obviously retains the ancient appellation of five dynasties ago, and has the flavor of "a mixture of north and south". People in Huizhou call kites "paper kites", and flying kites is a traditional activity of Huizhou Double Ninth Festival.

Drink chrysanthemum wine

Chrysanthemum, a famous flower in China, is also a famous flower with long life. During the first frost, only this kind of grass flourished. Because of its unique character, chrysanthemum has become a symbol of vitality.

As early as in Qu Yuan's works, there was a saying that "autumn chrysanthemum leaves the English for dinner", that is, eating chrysanthemum petals. Chrysanthemum wine existed in the Han Dynasty. Wei Shi once gave chrysanthemum to Zhong Wu in Chongyang, wishing him a long life. Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty recorded in Bao Puzi that there was a family in Nanyang Mountain, Henan Province, who lived a long life because of drinking the sweet valley water full of chrysanthemums. In Liang's "Picking Chrysanthemums", there is a saying that "under the east fence of picking chrysanthemums, picking pearls tells each other that the morning dew is wet", which is also a move of picking chrysanthemums to make wine. Until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, chrysanthemum wine was still very popular, and it was still recorded in Gao Lian's Eight Chapters of Respect for Life in the Ming Dynasty. This is a popular health drink.

On the Double Ninth Festival, China has the traditional custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. Chrysanthemum wine, in ancient times, was regarded as the "auspicious wine" that Chongyang must drink to eliminate disasters and pray for blessings.

Eat Chongyang cake

Besides drinking dogwood, chrysanthemum wine and eating chrysanthemum, Chongyang has many ways of eating, the most famous of which is eating cakes. It is especially windy to eat Chongyang cake in the north.

Chongyang cake, also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake and five-color cake, can be made at will, including "coarse flower cake", "fine flower cake" and "money flower cake".

It is said that in the early years, domestic flour cakes were filled with dates and chestnuts, or steamed with glutinous rice and yellow wheat, which looked like "gold on silver" flower cakes.

The Custom Implication of Double Ninth Festival

First, the custom implication of eating Chongyang cake

According to historical records, Chongyang cake, also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake and five-color cake, is made randomly. It was the original intention of the ancients to make cakes at dawn on September 9. The child put a cake on his head and said a word in his mouth, wishing the child all the best. Exquisite Chongyang cake should be made into nine layers, like a pagoda, with two lambs on it, which conforms to the meaning of Chongyang (sheep). Some people even put red paper flags on Chongyang cakes and light candles. This is probably replacing "crawling" with "lighting" and "eating cakes" and replacing Cornus officinalis with a little red paper flag. At present, there is still no fixed variety of Chongyang cake, and the soft cakes eaten around Chongyang Festival are called Chongyang cakes.

Second, the custom implication of enjoying chrysanthemum and drinking chrysanthemum wine

The Double Ninth Festival is the golden autumn season of the year, and chrysanthemums are in full bloom. It is said that appreciating chrysanthemums and drinking chrysanthemum wine originated from Tao Yuanming, a great poet in Jin Dynasty. Tao Yuanming is famous for his seclusion, his poems, his wine and his love for chrysanthemums. Later generations have followed suit, so Chongyang has the custom of enjoying chrysanthemums. In the old days, literati and officialdom also combined chrysanthemum appreciation with banquets in order to get close to Tao Yuanming. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng was the capital, and chrysanthemum appreciation on Chongyang was popular. At that time, there were many varieties and shapes of chrysanthemums. People also call September of the lunar calendar "Chrysanthemum Month". On the Double Ninth Festival, chrysanthemums are in full bloom in Ao Shuang, and viewing chrysanthemums has become an important part of the festival. After the Qing dynasty, the habit of enjoying chrysanthemums was particularly prosperous, and it was not limited to September 9, but it was the most prosperous around the Double Ninth Festival.

Third, the custom implication of mountain climbing

In ancient times, Chongyang had the folk custom of climbing, so Chongyang Festival was also called "Climbing Festival". According to legend, this custom began in the Eastern Han Dynasty. There are many climbing poems written by scholars in the Tang Dynasty, most of which are the custom of writing the Double Ninth Festival. Du Fu's Seven Laws "Ascending the Mountain" is a famous article about climbing the mountain in Chongyang. There is no uniform rule for climbing mountains. Generally, we climb mountains and towers. There is also the custom of eating "Chongyang cake".

Fourth, the custom implication of inserting Evodia rutaecarpa and Zanju.

The custom of inserting Evodia rutaecarpa in the Double Ninth Festival was very common in the Tang Dynasty. The ancients thought that inserting Evodia rutaecarpa in the Double Ninth Festival could take refuge and eliminate disasters. Or wear it on your arm, or make a sachet and put it in it, or wear it on your head. Most of them are worn by women and children, and in some places, men also wear them. Ge Hong's Miscellanies of the Western Classics in the Jin Dynasty recorded that Kaunus participated in the Double Ninth Festival. Besides wearing dogwood, people also wear chrysanthemums. This happened in the Tang Dynasty and has been popular since ancient times. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of Beijing Double Ninth Festival was to stick chrysanthemum branches and leaves on doors and windows to "eliminate evil and filth, and make money and treasure". This is the vulgarization of the chrysanthemum on the head. In the Song Dynasty, some people cut ribbons into dogwood and chrysanthemum and gave them to each other.

Double ninth festival tips

The Double Ninth Festival was formed as early as the Warring States Period and was officially designated as a folk festival in the Tang Dynasty. From generation to generation. Chongyang and the "spring outing" on March 3 are all family members. On Double Ninth Festival, all relatives should climb the mountain together to "avoid disaster". In the Book of Changes, "six" is defined as yin number, and "nine" is defined as yang number. On September 9, the sun and the moon combined with the sun, so it was called Chongyang, also known as Chongyang. The Double Ninth Festival was formed as early as the Warring States Period. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the atmosphere of the Double Ninth Festival has become increasingly rich, and scholars of all dynasties have chanted it. In the Tang dynasty, it was officially designated as a folk festival, which has been followed up to now. In the historical development and evolution, the Double Ninth Festival is a mixture of various folk customs, bearing rich culture and connotation. In the folk concept, "nine" is the largest number in the number, which means longevity and places people's wishes for the health and longevity of the elderly. September 9th of the lunar calendar 1989 is designated as the Day for the Elderly, and the whole society is encouraged to establish the atmosphere of respecting, loving and helping the elderly. On May 20th, 2006, the Double Ninth Festival was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage in the State Council.