Drinking chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival is a folk custom of the ancient Double Ninth Festival, which means keeping fit and prolonging life. The ancients called chrysanthemum wine "not old prescription", which recorded a kind of "not old prescription": "It is not old to pick chrysanthemum, poria cocos and rosin on September 9."
The custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine is actually related to solar terms health care. Chrysanthemum is the timely flower of the Double Ninth Festival, and it is called "the first frost and the only grass". In the Compendium of Materia Medica, there is a more specific record: "On September 9, I took white chrysanthemum, named Jin, and took two kilograms of Poria, and smashed it to the end. Take two yuan each time, mix wine and take it three times a day. "
The Origin of Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine on Double Ninth Festival
The Double Ninth Festival is the golden autumn season of the year, and chrysanthemums are in full bloom. It is said that 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. 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, when chrysanthemums are in full bloom in Ao Shuang, watching 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.
Double Ninth Festival is an important traditional folk festival in China. It is named "Double Ninth Festival" because it falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month every year, but in China tradition, "nine" is yang and two "nine" are equal. The earliest record of the Double Ninth Festival is "Gathering the Double Ninth Festival into the Palace" written by Chu poets in the Warring States Period, which indicates that the custom of the Double Ninth Festival already existed in the Chu royal family at that time.
In the Han Dynasty, the custom of celebrating the Double Ninth Festival gradually spread among the people and settled down. After Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the Double Ninth Festival was officially defined as a festival in the Tang Dynasty, and civil and military officials could "take a paid rest" until the Double Ninth Festival reached its peak in the Song Dynasty. At that time, it was officially stipulated that the emperor needed to go out of the palace for fun, but in the Ming Dynasty, the emperor needed to climb the Long Live Mountain to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival, which shows that the Double Ninth Festival has a long history in China.
The first thing: climb the mountain.
"Yellow flowers should be full of wine, and green hills are easy to climb." The Double Ninth Festival is a traditional custom in China, so it was also called "Mountaineering Festival" in ancient times. There are four theories about the origin of climbing the Double Ninth Festival:
First, people in ancient China were full of awe and worship of mountains. Over time, the custom of "climbing to pray for blessings" was formed on September 9, and in the chronicle of Chang 'an in the Western Han Dynasty, there was already a record that the Double Ninth Festival landed in the capital.
Secondly, according to the solar terms in nature, because the weather gradually turned cold after the Double Ninth Festival, everything on the earth began to wither, so there is a saying that the Double Ninth Festival "says goodbye";
Thirdly, according to the worship of celestial phenomena, the ancients thought that on September 9, "the clear sky rose and the polluted air sank", and people scrambled to climb to the place where the clear sky gathered in order to enjoy the "clear sky";
The fourth is the myth and legend of climbing mountains to avoid disasters in the Double Ninth Festival. It is said that in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there was a "plague" on September 9th, so people had to leave home and try to go to high places to ensure safety.
Although there are many sayings about mountain climbing, no matter which one, it expresses people's desire for good health, family security, longevity and a better life. There are no special rules for climbing mountains on the Double Ninth Festival, and they can be mountains, tall buildings and high platforms. The Double Ninth Festival is in late autumn. Climbing the mountain with your family can kill two birds with one stone. You can breathe fresh air and feel the beauty of this autumn.
The second thing: drink chrysanthemum wine
In ancient times, Taoism believed that taking herbs could prolong life. In addition, many novels in Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties also have stories about chrysanthemum promoting longevity. Therefore, chrysanthemum with the function of improving eyesight and refreshing brain has become the favorite longevity product of the ancients. Therefore, the ancients used chrysanthemums to soak wine on the Double Ninth Festival, which meant health and longevity, disaster relief and blessing. When the Double Ninth Festival is coming, remember to prepare a bowl of chrysanthemum wine for your family.
The third thing: enjoy the feast and pray for a long life.
In the common people's mind, "nine" is the biggest number, which means longevity and good health. Therefore, on the ninth Double Ninth Festival in ancient times, people would hold a large banquet to express their wishes for the health and longevity of the elderly. Today, there are still many places where there are customs of holding banquets for the elderly and praying for a long life.
The fourth thing: eat Chongyang cake
In ancient times, at the dawn of the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, adults would put a piece of cake on their children's foreheads, chanting that they wished their children all the best, and that piece of cake was the Double Ninth Festival cake. According to historical records, Chongyang cake, also known as chrysanthemum cake, flower cake and five-color cake, has no special provisions on its making method, which is more casual. However, some exquisite Chongyang cakes should be made into nine-layer cakes like pagodas with two lambs at the top, which is in line with the meaning of Chongyang. Even more exquisite Chongyang cakes will be decorated with red paper flags and lit with candles, which means "climbing high". At present, there is still no fixed variety of Chongyang cake. Usually, cakes eaten on Chongyang Festival can be called Chongyang cake.
The fifth thing: ancestor worship
According to historical records, the autumn harvest in September has been basically completed, and September 9 is considered as "auspicious day", so people will hold activities to worship their ancestors in the Double Ninth Festival to thank them for their generous gifts. With the development of time, through the combination with the traditional festivals and customs in the Tang Dynasty, ancestor worship, as the main part of the Double Ninth Festival, has been passed down, which has far-reaching significance.
Article 6: Pei dogwood
Cornus officinalis is a kind of plant fruit that can be used as Chinese medicine. It is rich in flavor and has the functions of refreshing, expelling worms and promoting digestion. The ancients believed that climbing on the Double Ninth Festival and wearing Cornus officinalis had the effect of expelling insects and evil spirits, similar to drinking realgar wine and wearing calamus on the Dragon Boat Festival. Moreover, the ancients thought that the Double Ninth Festival was "clear and turbid", and wearing dogwood on the body could also adjust the body and make the body gradually adapt to the natural climate.