Folk Customs of the Double Ninth Festival
1. Sun-drying Autumn HarvestsThe Double Ninth Festival is the best time to enjoy autumn. In some mountainous villages in southern China, there is still a "sun-drying" custom. Visiting the countryside to experience folk customs and watch sun-drying has become a popular trend in rural tourism. "Sun-drying" is a typical agricultural custom with strong regional characteristics. Villagers living in mountainous areas in Hunan, Guangxi, Anhui, and Jiangxi, due to complex terrain and limited flat land, use front and back yards, window sills, and rooftops for drying and hanging crops. Over time, this practice evolved into a traditional agricultural custom. This unique way of life and scene of villagers drying their crops gradually became a source of inspiration for painters and photographers, shaping the poetic term "sun-drying".
2. Ascending Heights
The custom of ascending heights on the Double Ninth Festival has a long history. In ancient times, people had the custom of climbing mountains on the Double Ninth Festival, hence it is also called the "Height-Ascent Festival". The custom of ascending heights originated from the climate characteristics of that time and the ancient people's reverence for mountains. "Climbing mountains to bid farewell to greenery" also comes from nature's seasonal changes. The Double Ninth Festival mountain climbing "bid farewell to greenery" corresponds to the ancient custom of spring outings "trampling greenery" in the third month of spring. The custom of "climbing mountains for blessings" was already popular during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. There is no unified regulation on the location of climbing, which generally includes climbing mountains, tall buildings, or high platforms.
3. Ancestral Worship
The Double Ninth Festival is one of the four traditional festivals for ancestral worship in China. Ancient people have long had the tradition of worshipping ancestors and seeking blessings. In the Lingnan region, the ancient custom of ancestor worship on the Double Ninth Festival is still prevalent. People hold ancestral worship activities every year on the Double Ninth Festival. Whether it is ancestor worship or looking far off from a height, the most fundamental purpose is to enhance people's cultural identity and strengthen the cohesion of family and society.
4. Appreciating Chrysanthemums
On the Double Ninth Day, there has always been the custom of appreciating chrysanthemums, so it is also called the Chrysanthemum Festival. The custom of appreciating chrysanthemums originates from chrysanthemum culture. Chrysanthemums are natural flowers, and their colorful blossoms and blooming proudly against the cold have formed the chrysanthemum culture of appreciation and praise. The ninth lunar month is commonly known as the Chrysanthemum Month, and during the festival, a chrysanthemum fair is held, drawing a large crowd of people to attend and appreciate the flowers. Since the Three Kingdoms period of Wei and Jin, gatherings, drinking wine, appreciating chrysanthemums, and composing poetry have become a fashion. In traditional Chinese customs, chrysanthemums symbolize longevity. Chrysanthemums are the flowers of longevity and are also praised by literati as symbols of unyielding courage against frost.
5. Eating Double Ninth Cake
According to historical records, Double Ninth cake is also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake, and five-color cake, with no fixed method of preparation, and it is relatively casual. On the morning of the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, a piece of cake is placed on the forehead of children, while reciting words, wishing them to achieve great success in all things, which was the original intention of making cakes in the ninth month. A more refined Double Ninth cake is made into nine layers, resembling a pagoda, and two small sheep are made on top, conforming to the meaning of Double Ninth (sheep). Some places also place a small red paper flag (instead of jujube) on the Double Ninth cake and light candles. This may be the meaning of using "lighting lamps" and "eating cakes" instead of "ascending heights."
6. Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine
In ancient times, chrysanthemum wine was regarded as the "lucky wine" for drinking on the Double Ninth Festival to ward off disasters and seek blessings. Due to the unique qualities of chrysanthemums, they have become symbols of vitality. Chrysanthemums contain health-enhancing components, and according to Ge Hong's "Baopuzi" from the Jin Dynasty, there are records of people in the mountains of Nanyang who drank water rich in chrysanthemums and lived longer. It is a traditional custom in China to drink chrysanthemum wine on the Double Ninth Festival. Chrysanthemum wine was considered the "lucky wine" for the Double Ninth Festival, used to ward off disasters and seek blessings. It is a medicinal wine with a slightly bitter taste, which can refresh the mind and eyes, and carries auspicious meanings of warding off disasters and seeking blessings.
Why Do People Hang Juyu on the Double Ninth Festival?
In ancient times, there was a custom of hanging juyu on the Double Ninth Festival, which is why it is also called the Juyu Festival.Ancient people believed that climbing mountains and hanging juyu on the Double Ninth Festival could 驱虫去湿、逐风邪. Therefore, they wore juyu on their arms or ground it up and put it in a small bag, or even inserted it into their hair. Most women and children wore it, and some places also had men wearing it.
Hanging juyu and wearing chrysanthemums were already common in the Tang Dynasty. The ancient custom of hanging juyu was a behavior of mountain climbing to drive away wind evil. On the Double Ninth Festival, the clear air rises and the turbid air descends. People used natural medicines like juyu to adjust their physical health and adapt to the changing natural climate.
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