The Meaning and Significance of the Double Ninth Festival
The Double Ninth Festival refers to the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is a traditional Chinese folk festival. According to the "I Ching," the number "nine" is defined as a yang number, and "nine nines" means two yang numbers overlapping, hence it is called "Double Ninth"; because both the day and the month are nine, it is also called "Double Nine." The "Nine Nines" return to the truth, and the first beginning of the yuan (the fundamental principle), and ancient people believed that the Double Ninth Festival was an auspicious day. In ancient times, people had customs such as climbing high to pray for blessings, autumn tours to admire chrysanthemums, wearing dogwood, worshiping gods, and ancestral sacrifices, as well as banquets to wish for longevity. Over time, it has added the connotation of respecting the elderly, and on the Double Ninth Festival, there are gatherings and activities to express gratitude and respect for the elderly. As the Double Ninth Festival evolved historically, it has integrated various folk customs, carrying rich cultural connotations. In folk beliefs, the number "nine" is the largest number in the numerical system, symbolizing longevity and long life, expressing people's wishes for the health and longevity of the elderly. In 1989, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month was designated as the "Respect for the Elderly Day," advocating for society to establish a climate of respecting, honoring, loving, and helping the elderly. On May 20, 2006, the Double Ninth Festival was listed by the State Council as part of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage. The greatest significance of the Double Ninth Festival is undoubtedly "respecting the elderly." "Filial piety" has always been one of the most important aspects of traditional Chinese virtues, and it is also a moral concept etched into the blood of every descendant of the Chinese nation. "Late autumn" often refers to the elderly who have reached old age, and the Double Ninth Festival, with its strong late autumn atmosphere, has thus become our "Respect for the Elderly Day." Whether it is admiring chrysanthemums or climbing high, or tomb-sweeping and ancestral worship, all the customs of the Double Ninth Festival revolve around the concept of "filial piety." This makes the Double Ninth Festival, amidst its rich traditional cultural atmosphere, add a touch of modern people's hopes and aspirations, becoming a festival that combines the wisdom and wishes of people from both ancient and modern times.Do you want to know your birth elements? Want to find out where your ideal match is? Click on the 【Premium Calculation】 below to calculate your birth elements and fortune!
