During the ancient Double Ninth Festival, various customs and activities were held among the people, including climbing high, gathering herbs, inserting dogwood, appreciating chrysanthemums, drinking chrysanthemum wine, hunting, shooting willows, flying kites, cuju, eating Double Ninth cakes, women returning to their parents' homes, and showing filial piety to the elderly.
Enjoy a banquet and pray for longevity
On the Double Ninth Festival, there is a custom of enjoying a banquet to pray for longevity, expressing people's blessings for the health and longevity of the elderly. The custom of enjoying banquets and praying for longevity during the Double Ninth Festival was widely spread in ancient times, and there are also related records in some literary works, such as the Han Dynasty's "Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital": "On the ninth day of the ninth month, wearing cornel, eating awns of bait, and drinking chrysanthemum wine are believed to bring longevity." It is also recorded in the "Annals of Jingchu": "On the ninth day of the ninth month, the four people gathered together to enjoy a wild feast
Climbing the Heights
Climbing high is an important custom during the Double Ninth Festival. On this day, people will climb together to seek good luck. The ancients believed that "the ninth day of the ninth lunar month will change the anode", and on the day of Double Ninth, the climate is characterized by "clear air rising and turbid air sinking". The higher the terrain, the more concentrated the air will be. Therefore, they chose to climb high and look far on September 9th. The location for climbing is not fixed, it can be a high mountain or a high tower.
eat Double Ninth cake
According to historical records, Chongyang cake, also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake, or five color cake, has no fixed method of production and is relatively casual. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, at dawn, people would place a piece of cake on their children's foreheads and recite words in their mouths, wishing them all the best. This is the original intention of making cakes in September in ancient times. The exquisite Chongyang cake should be made into nine layers, like a pagoda, with two small lambs on top to conform to the meaning of Chongyang (sheep).
ancestor worship
The ancient folk have a tradition of worshipping ancestors and praying for blessings during the Double Ninth Festival. The traditional custom of ancestor worship in Chongyang is still prevalent in the Lingnan region. People hold ancestor worship activities every year during the Chongyang Festival to strengthen the cohesion of their families and society. In traditional customs, Qingming Festival is called "Spring Festival Sacrifice", and Chongyang Festival is called "Autumn Festival".
Chrysanthemum appreciation
Chrysanthemum, also known as yellow flower, is the flower of longevity. It is praised by Chinese literati as a symbol of perseverance in the face of frost. Therefore, people love and praise it, and often hold large-scale chrysanthemum exhibitions. Chrysanthemum exhibitions are often held on the Double Ninth Festival, hence it is also known as the Chrysanthemum Festival, and chrysanthemums are also known as the Nine Flowers. Appreciating chrysanthemums has become a part of the customs of the Double Ninth Festival.
The Song Dynasty's "Dream of Splendor in Tokyo" Volume 8: "On the Double Ninth Festival in September, there are several types of chrysanthemums to admire. The yellow and white stamens in the lotus house are called" Wanling Chrysanthemum ", the pink ones are called" Peach Blossom Chrysanthemum ", the white and sandalwood hearts are called" Wood Fragrance Chrysanthemum ", the yellow and round ones are called" Golden Ling Chrysanthemum ", and the pure white and large ones are called" Joyful Chrysanthemum ". They are everywhere.
wear cornel
In ancient times, the custom of inserting nine pieces of dogwood was still popular, so it is also called the Dogwood Festival. Inserting dogwood and hairpin chrysanthemums was already common in the Tang Dynasty. During the Double Ninth Festival, people wore dogwood to ward off evil and seek good luck. Dogwood was also known as the "warding off evil spirit".
Cornus has a strong aroma and has the effects of improving vision, awakening the brain, dispelling fire, repelling insects, removing dampness, and dispelling wind and evil. It can also eliminate accumulated food, treat cold and heat. During seasonal changes, ancient people used natural medicines such as Cornus to adjust physical health and adapt to natural climate changes.
Drink chrysanthemum wine
Due to the unique characteristics of chrysanthemums, they have become a symbol of vitality and also have health benefits. Ge Hong's "Baopuzi" from the Jin Dynasty records that people in the mountains of Nanyang drank sweet valley water filled with chrysanthemums, which was beneficial for longevity. Chrysanthemum wine was regarded in ancient times as an "auspicious wine" that was consumed during the Double Ninth Festival, used for dispelling disasters and praying for blessings.
Chrysanthemum wine was already seen in the Han Dynasty. Afterwards, there were still stories of giving chrysanthemums to celebrate birthdays and picking chrysanthemums to make wine. For example, Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi, once gave chrysanthemums to Zhong Yao on the Double Ninth Festival (wishing him longevity). In the "Picking Chrysanthemums" chapter of Emperor Wen of Liang Jian, there is a sentence that goes, "We call each other to pick chrysanthemums in baskets, and in the morning, the dew and dampness touch the Luo Ru," which is an example of picking chrysanthemums to make wine. Until the Ming and Qing dynasties, chrysanthemum wine was still popular, and it is still recorded in Gao Lian's "Zunsheng Bajian" of the Ming dynasty.
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