Chinese Culture: Double Ninth Festival (重阳节)

Today I will introduce the Double Ninth Festival (重阳节 chóngyáng jié), which is also called Chongyang Festival. It occurs on the 9th day of 9th lunar month. It is celebrated for over 2000 years but officially defined as a festival during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). As the development in modern times, the Double Ninth Festival gradually to be celebrated also as a Elder Day for young people to show their respects to the elderly as double nine symbolize the longevity in Chinese culture.

The typical customs of Double Ninth Festival include wear cornel (a kind of Chinese herbal medicine), appreciate chrysanthemum and climb mountains and high places. The cornel is believed to drive away evil spirits and prevent people from illness in late autumn according to the theory of Chinese Medicine. Because of the clear and sunny climate and blooming chrysanthemum in late autumn, it is also pleasant to going out and people often go hiking, mountain climbing, and appreciating flowers during the Chongyang Festival.

The food for Double Ninth Festival includes kinds of desserts made of chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum wine and Chongyang cakes. Chongyang cakes are believed to bring prosperity to people and are made of rice incorporate with nuts and preserves such as dates, semen juglandis, preserved apples, peach, apricot and the like.

This is the Chinese Double Ninth Festival.