The Double Ninth Festival was formed as early as the Warring States Period. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that it was officially designated as a folk festival and passed down from generation to generation. Because in the Book of Changes, "six" is the number of yin and "nine" is the number of yang, so the two yang are heavy on September 9, so it is called Chongyang.
The Double Ninth Festival was mentioned in Chu Ci during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Qu Yuan's Journey wrote: "Set Chongyang into the Emperor's Palace and see the capital of Qing Dynasty ten days later." The "Double Ninth Festival" here refers to the sky, not just festivals. In Nine Days Zhong You written by Cao Pi, Wei Wendi in the Three Kingdoms period, it was clearly written that the Double Ninth Festival: "From the year to the month, I suddenly returned to September 9. Nine is the number of yang, and the sun and the moon coincide. It is well known and considered suitable for a long time, so it is a feast. "
Tao Yuanming, a scholar in Jin Dynasty, said in the preface to the poem "Idle for Nine Days": "I am idle and love the name of Nine. Autumn chrysanthemums are full of gardens, but they are sad, empty for Jiuhua, and precious words are like gold. " Chrysanthemum and wine are mentioned here at the same time. Probably in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there was a custom of drinking and enjoying chrysanthemums on the Double Ninth Festival. In the Tang Dynasty, Chongyang was officially designated as a folk festival.
In the Ming Dynasty, on the Double Ninth Festival in September, the palace would eat flower cakes together to celebrate, and the emperor would personally climb the Long Live Mountain to celebrate his autumn ambition. This custom has been passed down to the Qing Dynasty.
The custom of the Double Ninth Festival: climbing mountains, enjoying chrysanthemums, inserting dogwood and eating double ninth cake.
The expansion of information has existed since ancient times. According to legend, this custom began in the Eastern Han Dynasty, when climbing mountains was to avoid disaster. Over time, mountain climbing has become a beautiful and elegant custom today. In autumn, the atmosphere is cool and the air is fresh. Why not climb high and overlook?
The Double Ninth Festival coincides with autumn, and chrysanthemums are in full bloom. According to legend, appreciating chrysanthemum 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.
The custom of inserting dogwood on 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, so many women and children put Cornus officinalis on their arms or heads. Ge Hong's Miscellanies of the Western Classics in the Jin Dynasty recorded that Kaunus participated in the Double Ninth Festival.
Chongyang cake, also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake and five-color cake, is made randomly. On the morning of September 9, the ancients intended to make cakes in September, put a piece of cake on the child's head, and said something in their mouths, wishing the child all the best.
References:
Baidu encyclopedia? Double Ninth Festival