Essay collection for Double Ninth Festival

Introduction to the Double Ninth Festival

The traditional Double Ninth Festival falls on September 9 of the lunar calendar, also known as the "Old Man's Day". Because the "Book of Changes" defines "six" as a yin number and "nine" as a yang number, on September 9th, the sun and the moon are yang, and the two nines overlap, so it is called Double Ninth Festival, also called Double Nine. The Double Ninth Festival has been formed as early as the Warring States Period. In the Tang Dynasty, the Double Ninth Festival was officially designated as a folk festival, and has been followed by all dynasties ever since. The name "Double Ninth Festival" was first recorded in the Three Kingdoms era. According to Cao Pi's "The Book of Nine Days and Zhong Yao": "As the years pass by, the ninth day of the ninth month suddenly returns. Nine is the number of Yang, and the sun and the moon correspond to each other. The common people praise its name, thinking that it is suitable for a long time, so it can be enjoyed for a long time. Banquet. "

First of all, there is the custom of climbing high during the Double Ninth Festival. In the golden autumn of September, the sky is high and the air is crisp. Climbing high in this season can achieve the purpose of feeling relaxed and happy, keeping fit and curing diseases. Associated with climbing is the custom of eating Double Ninth Festival cakes. Gaohe cake is a homophonic word. As a festival food, it was first used to celebrate the harvest of autumn grains and to enjoy new crops. Later, the folk people began to climb high and eat cakes to gain the auspicious meaning of climbing higher and higher.

On Double Ninth Festival, there has always been a custom of admiring chrysanthemums, so it has also been called the Chrysanthemum Festival since ancient times. The ninth month of the lunar calendar is commonly known as the chrysanthemum month. A chrysanthemum conference is held during the festival, and crowds of people attend the festival to appreciate the chrysanthemums. Since the Wei and Jin Dynasties in the Three Kingdoms, it has become fashionable to gather for drinking, appreciating chrysanthemums and composing poems on the Double Ninth Festival. In ancient Han customs, chrysanthemums symbolize longevity. In ancient times, the custom of planting dogwood trees was also popular, so it is also called the Dogwood Festival. Cornus officinalis is used as medicine and can be used to make wine to nourish the body and cure diseases. Wang Wei's "Remembering Shandong Brothers on September 9th" was written on this day.

The ancients considered it an auspicious day worthy of celebration, and began to celebrate this festival from early on. The Double Ninth Festival is a traditional Han festival that combines various folk customs. Activities to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival generally include traveling to enjoy the scenery, climbing high to overlook, viewing chrysanthemums, planting dogwood everywhere, eating Double Ninth cakes, drinking chrysanthemum wine and other activities. The Double Ninth Festival has the same pronunciation as "Jiujiu", and nine is the largest number among numbers, which has the meaning of longevity. Moreover, autumn is also the golden season of harvest. The Double Ninth Festival has far-reaching meanings. People have always had a special attachment to this festival. Regarding emotions, there are many excellent poems in Tang and Song Dynasty poems celebrating the Double Ninth Festival and chanting chrysanthemums.

In folklore, the Double Ninth Festival has the same pronunciation as "Jiujiu", which means long life, health and longevity. Since the 1980s, some places in my country have designated the ninth day of the ninth lunar month as the Elderly Day, advocating that the whole society establish a culture of respecting, respecting, loving and helping the elderly.

The country attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, this folk custom was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. This year (2009) the Double Ninth Festival falls on October 26 in the Gregorian calendar.

[Edit this paragraph] The Origin of the Double Ninth Festival

The Double Ninth Festival is a festival with a long history. Due to its long history, the formation of the festival is not easy to investigate clearly. Therefore, there are various opinions about the origin of the Double Ninth Festival:

One:

The origin of the Double Ninth Festival can be traced back to before the pre-Qin Dynasty. "Ji Qiu Ji" in "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" contains: "(In September), order the family steward to prepare for the harvest, and give five important points. The collection of the emperor's books is collected in the Shencang, and it must be respected and ordered." "This is the day. Also, the Great Food Emperor sacrificed something and reported it to the Emperor." It can be seen that at that time, there were activities to offer sacrifices to the Emperor and ancestors in autumn and September when the crops were harvested, to thank the Emperor and ancestors for their kindness.

In the Han Dynasty, "Miscellaneous Notes of Xijing" records that Jia Peilan, a palace official in the Western Han Dynasty, said: "On September 9th, wearing dogwood, eating bait, and drinking chrysanthemum wine will make people live longer." According to legend, from then on. Since then, there has been a custom of praying for longevity on the Double Ninth Festival. This was influenced by the ancient wizards (later Taoist priests) who pursued immortality and collected medicines to take them. At the same time, there are also large-scale banquet activities, which developed from the banquets held to celebrate the harvest in the pre-Qin Dynasty. "Records of the Years of Jingchu" says: "On September 9th, all the people gathered together for a picnic." Du Gongzhan of the Sui Dynasty noted: "It is unknown when the banquet on September 9th began, but it lasted from the end of the Song Dynasty to the end of the Song Dynasty. Change." Seeking longevity and feasting form the basis of the Double Ninth Festival.

During the Three Kingdoms period, Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi said in the Book of Nine Days and Zhong Yao: "As the years go by, the ninth day suddenly returns to September 9th.

Nine is the yang number, and the sun and moon correspond to each other, so its name is praised twice, thinking it is suitable for a long time, so it is used to enjoy banquets and high gatherings. "It can be seen that the customs of the festival have been finalized at that time. The theme of the Double Ninth Festival is to pray for longevity, wear dogwood, brew chrysanthemum wine, appreciate chrysanthemums, make wine and worship the wine industry god. After being spread to this day, connotations such as respecting the elderly have been added, which is more meaningful. , there are also climbing picnic activities and various games, etc. [1]

Second:

One of the prototypes of the Double Ninth Festival is the ancient fire ceremony.

The "Great Fire" (i.e. Antares), which was the symbol of the ancient seasonal constellations, retreated in the ninth month of autumn. The ancients who marked seasonal production and seasonal life lost the coordinates of time. At the same time, the ancients who regarded fire as a god had inexplicable fear. The dormancy of the god of fire meant the arrival of the long winter. Therefore, during the "internal fire" season, a person Just like when there is a fire ceremony, people have to hold corresponding farewell rituals. Although the situation of ancient rituals is unclear, we can still find some traces of ancient customs from the Double Ninth Festival rituals of later generations, such as those in Jiangnan. In some areas, there is a custom of worshiping stoves on the Double Ninth Festival, which is the household fire god. This shows the clues of worshiping "fire" in September in ancient times. The ancients always regarded the Double Ninth Festival as the corresponding Spring and Autumn Festival with Shangsi or Hanshi, September 9th and March 3rd. "Miscellaneous Notes on Xijing" written by Liu Xin of the Han Dynasty said: "On the first day of the third month and the Double Ninth Festival in the ninth month, the maids played games to ward off evil spirits and climb high. "The correspondence between Shangsi, Hanshi and Double Ninth Festival is based on the occurrence of "fire".

With the advancement of people's livelihood technology, people have a new understanding of time, and the "fire calendar" gave way to According to the general calendar, the ritual of offering sacrifices to fire in September has declined, but people still have a special feeling for the natural changes caused by the decline of Yang Qi in September, so the ancient custom of climbing high and avoiding taboos is still passed down, although the world has new ones. Explanation. The Double Ninth Festival has become the time mark of the transition between summer and winter in people's lives. If Shangsi and Hanshi are the Spring Festivals when people go out for a swim after spending the long winter, then the Double Ninth Festival is probably a ritual when the autumn cold arrives and people are about to live in seclusion. The Double Ninth Festival customs revolve around people's feelings about this season. [2]

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Appreciating chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums, also called yellow flowers, belong to the Asteraceae family and have many varieties. my country is the hometown of chrysanthemums. Chrysanthemums have been cultivated since ancient times. It is praised by literati as a symbol of perseverance in admiring chrysanthemums, so people love and praise it, so large-scale chrysanthemum exhibitions are often held on the Double Ninth Festival, because chrysanthemums are closely related to the Double Ninth Festival; therefore, the Double Ninth Festival is also called the Double Ninth Festival. Chrysanthemum Festival, and chrysanthemums are also called Nine Flowers. Chrysanthemum appreciation has become an integral part of the Double Ninth Festival customs. Volume 8 of "Tokyo Menghua Lu" of the Song Dynasty: "On the Double Ninth Festival in September, there are several kinds of chrysanthemums. The one with yellow and white stamens is called 'Wanlingju', the pink one is called 'Peach Blossom Chrysanthemum', the one with white and sandalwood heart is called 'Wuxiangju', the yellow and round one is called 'Golden Chrysanthemum', and the pure white one is called 'Golden Chrysanthemum'. 'Xirongju. Nowhere.

In the Ming Dynasty, it was recorded in "Tao'an Mengmei": "The style of Shao Shen's family in Yanzhou invaded the palace. On the day of admiring chrysanthemums, its table, its Kang, its lamp, its stove, its plate, its The boxes, the basins, the utensils, the cups, the dishes, the cups, the pots, the draperies, the mattresses, the wine; the pasta, the patterns on the clothes, all the chrysanthemums were burned with candles at night, steamed and dyed, and compared with the sun. Several layers of color emerged. The mats were scattered and the reed curtains were removed to absorb the dew. "

Appreciation of chrysanthemums in the Qing Dynasty, such as "Yanjing Suishiji": "Nine flowers, every year. On the Double Ninth Festival, a wealthy family uses hundreds of pots of nine flowers to set up a large building in front of the building. "Nine Flowers Mountain Son". Those piled up on all sides are called "Nine Flower Towers". "Qing Jia Lu" records the chrysanthemum appreciation activities in Suzhou: "When the chrysanthemums bloom in Hufu, they are already dry." Utensils) are brought into the city on a load of hundreds of pots, and the residents buy them as bottles for washing, or one set of five or seven utensils, with wrought iron wire in the middle, and they can be piled up in the Guangting Building to satisfy people's wishes. "Players, the crepe paper is a mountain, named Chrysanthemum Mountain, and the tea shop is particularly prosperous." There are also records of chrysanthemum appreciation in books such as "Jin Ping Mei" and "Floating Life".

To this day, during the Double Ninth Festival, major parks still organize large-scale chrysanthemum exhibitions, and the chrysanthemums are tied into various shapes of animals, plants, characters, etc., which are very beautiful.

Climbing high

One of the most important festival activities during the Double Ninth Festival is climbing. Therefore, the Double Ninth Festival is also called the "Climbing Festival". There are no uniform regulations for climbing wherever you go. Generally, you climb mountains and towers.

As early as the Western Han Dynasty, "Chang'an Chronicle" contains records of people visiting the capital on September 9th to enjoy the scenery. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was the famous story of "hat falling off Longshan". According to the "Biography of Meng Jia" in "Book of Jin", on the Double Ninth Festival in September, the great Sima Huanwen of the Jin Dynasty and the general Meng Jia who joined the army climbed to Longshan (a mountain in the northwest of Jiangling County, Hubei today). Meng Jia admired the mountain scenery. I don’t know if my hat was blown away by the wind. Huan Wen asked people to write essays to laugh at him, but he did not show any weakness and responded to the essays, which became a good story for a while.

During the Southern Dynasties, Wu Jun, a native of Liang Dynasty, recorded a magical story in "Xu Qi Xie Ji": Huan Jing, a native of Runan, went to study with Fei Changfang, and Fei Changfang asked him to give up the throne on the Double Ninth Festival. Each family member makes a scarlet bag, holds dogwood and ties it around their arms, and climbs up high to drink chrysanthemum wine to avoid disaster. Huan Jing complied and escaped the disaster. This story vividly reflects people's psychology of avoiding evil and eliminating disasters during the Double Ninth Festival.

Of course, people not only climb mountains, but also enjoy the red leaves and wild flowers on the mountains, drink wine and eat meat, so that the combination of climbing and picnics is more attractive. For example, Sun Simiao's "Qian Jin Fang·Yue Ling" in the Sui Dynasty states: "On the Double Ninth Festival, one must climb high and look far into the distance with wine, as a tour reward for the banquet, so as to smooth one's autumn aspirations. The wine must be soaked with dogwood and chrysanthemum, and then return drunk. "The customs of the Sui Dynasty are similar to those of later generations." In the fifth volume of "Mengliang Lu" of the Southern Song Dynasty: "The sun and the moon fly back and forth, looking forward to the Double Ninth Festival. ... That day, 'Mengjia climbed to Longshan and dropped his hat, Yuanming admired the chrysanthemums on the east fence', which is exactly the story." Han Yuanji of the Southern Song Dynasty " "Shui Tiao Ge Tou·Nine Days", first film: "Today I am on the ninth day, don't miss the blooming chrysanthemums. Try to find a high place, and join hands to take photos of Cui Wei. Look at the thousands of green cliffs, the clouds protect the dawn frost, and know that I am with you. "Come here. The ancient temple leans on the bamboo, and the sill is very sharp." It describes the charm of admiring chrysanthemums and climbing high to view the scenery during the Double Ninth Festival.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, climbing was very popular in Beijing. "Yanjing Chronicles" says: "The capital said that the Double Ninth Festival is September 9th. Every September 9th, people carry pots and couplets and go out. They all climbed high. To the south were places such as Tianning Temple, Taoran Pavilion, and Dragon Claw Sophora japonica, to the north were places such as Jimen Smoke Tree and Qingcheng Domain, and in the distance were eight places on the Western Mountain. "Both scholars and common people like to have picnics and barbecues on the mountain after climbing. Some nobles and wealthy families brought tents, barbecue utensils, carriages and horses, and musical instruments, climbed high platforms and slopes, set up tents, tables and chairs, feasted on roasted or boiled mutton, sang opera, played music, and listened to songs and dances. For example, Empress Dowager Cixi in the late Qing Dynasty would climb up, have picnics, and barbecue on Peach Blossom Mountain in the east of Beihai every Double Ninth Festival, and set up blue cloth barriers to prevent idlers from peeking. At Yuyuantan Diaoyutai and other places, there are also many climbers. There is also a climbing mountain in the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City.

Another example is Guangzhou, where more tourists climb Baiyun Mountain during the Double Ninth Festival to drink wine and compose poems. In Shanghai, there are no hills nearby, so the Danfeng Tower in Shanghai and the large rockery in Yu Garden are used as places for climbing and elegance, and they are also very lively. During the Republic of China, he even climbed to the 24-story International Hotel. In modern times, Xiangshan Mountain in Beijing, Niushan Mountain in Shandong Province, Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, etc. are also popular places for climbing. Especially Tengwang Pavilion, it is even more famous all over the world because Wang Bo of the Tang Dynasty wrote the famous text "Preface to Tengwang Pavilion" on the pavilion during the Double Ninth Festival. As for the hat-dropping platform on Longshan Mountain in Jiangling, Hubei, it also attracts many tourists.

Since the Double Ninth Festival is the autumn festival, and the vegetation begins to wither after the festival, so the Double Ninth Festival outings are called "Ciqing", which corresponds to the spring outing in March. Pan Rongbi of the Qing Dynasty wrote in "Records of Success in the Imperial Capital": "(Double Ninth Festival), there was a Zhiguan who would drink wine in the suburbs of various gates all day long, which was called 'Ci Qing'." This is also a quite poetic name.

There are different opinions on the origin of the custom of climbing:

One theory may stem from the worship of mountain gods in ancient times, believing that mountain gods can protect people from disasters. Therefore, during the Double Ninth Festival, when "the anode must change", people go to the mountains to play in order to avoid disasters.

Perhaps at first it was necessary to worship mountain gods for good luck, but later it gradually turned into a recreational activity. (In ancient times, it was believed that "Nine is the old Yang, and the Yang pole must change." On September 9th, the month and day are both the number of the old Yang, which is unlucky. Therefore, a series of activities to avoid bad luck and seek longevity have been derived. It is not like Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi called nine the number "suitable for a long time". This is the view in "Wuzazui" written by Xiezhao of the Ming Dynasty. It is said that during the Double Ninth Festival, the autumn harvest has been completed, and farming is relatively idle. At that time, the wild fruits and medicinal materials in the mountains were in season, and farmers went up to the mountains to collect wild fruits, medicinal materials and plant raw materials for their side jobs. The farmers called this custom of "small autumn harvest". It may have evolved from this, but it was later that it was concentrated on the Double Ninth Festival. It was meant to serve as a symbol and starting point for promotion, just like spring is the time for tree planting, so people designated Arbor Day. Same. In addition, the weather is sunny and the temperature is cool during the Double Ninth Festival, which is suitable for climbing high and looking far away.

Wearing dogwood and hairpins with chrysanthemums

There is a custom of wearing dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival, so it is also called. "Corus officinalis" is an important symbol of the Double Ninth Festival. People also like to wear chrysanthemums during the Double Ninth Festival. The fruit can be used as traditional Chinese medicine. Because the cornus produced in Wudi (today's Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas) has the best quality, it is also called Evodia, also called Yuejiao or mugwort. It is an evergreen small tree that can grow almost as long as a year. It is more than ten feet tall and has pinnately compound leaves. It blooms with small green-white flowers in early summer and is as strong as pepper seeds. The fruit is yellow when young and turns purple when mature. It has the effects of warming, relieving pain and regulating qi. It can also cure cholera, and the root can kill insects. "Compendium of Materia Medica" says that it has a pungent aroma and is warm in nature. It can cure colds and eliminate poisons. The ancients believed that wearing Dogwood can ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters.

Wearing Dogwood on Double Ninth Festival. The custom of planting dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival was very popular in the Tang Dynasty. People believed that planting dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival could provide refuge and eliminate disasters; it could be worn on the arm, or used as a sachet to wear the dogwood inside, which is called a dogwood bag. There are also dogwood bags inserted on the head. Most of them are worn by women and children. In some places, men also wear dogwood. It is recorded in Ge Hong's "Xi Jing Za Ji" in the Jin Dynasty. In addition to wearing dogwood, people also wear chrysanthemums on their heads. This has been popular in the past dynasties. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of sticking chrysanthemum branches and leaves on doors and windows was to "remove evil and bring good luck". In the Song Dynasty, there was also a custom of cutting colorful silk ribbons. Dogwood and chrysanthemums are given as gifts.

The Double Ninth Festival is actually similar to the realgar and calamus in Dragon Boat Festival. The weather has been getting warmer for a while; but in the period before Double Ninth Festival, the autumn rains are humid and the autumn heat has not yet subsided, so clothes are prone to mildew. This is also the time when osmanthus blooms, so it is called "osmanthus steaming" among the people. At this time, it is necessary to prevent insects. Cornus officinalis is slightly poisonous and has the effect of killing insects. This is how the custom of making dogwood bags came about.

However, after the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of wearing dogwood gradually became rare. The reason for the change may be explained from the subtle shift in the focus of the Double Ninth Festival customs. The Double Ninth Festival emphasized in the time and life of early people to avoid evil and eliminate disasters. As people's living conditions improved, people not only paid attention to the current real life, but also gave more expectations to the future life and prayed for longevity and longevity. Therefore, the status of the "life-extending guest" (chrysanthemum) finally overshadowed the "evil-avoiding one" (Corus officinalis).

Flying paper harriers

Flying paper harriers is the main custom of Huizhou during the Double Ninth Festival. In other words, the folk celebration of the Double Ninth Festival in Huizhou is mainly characterized by flying paper harriers. This practice is not only described in the folk songs circulated in Huizhou, but also recorded in Guangxu's "Huizhou Prefecture Chronicles". Flying a Paper Harrier

Paper Harrier is also a modern kite. Kite is the name after the Five Dynasties. Before the Five Dynasties, it was customary to call it "paper kite" in the north, and "kite" in the south. Huizhou's "paper kite" obviously retains the ancient name before the five generations, and is a "mixture of north and south" the taste.

Kites first appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period, and their initial shapes were birds.

According to legend, Gongshu Ban (Luban) "cut bamboo into a crane, then made it fly" and "made a wooden kite to peek into the Song Dynasty". The "bamboo magpie" and "wooden kite" here are the prototypes of modern kites. However, there was no paper at that time and it could only be made of bamboo wood. Notes from the Qing Dynasty said: "Han Xin led an army of 100,000 to besiege Xiang Yu under the Gaixia. He made a kite out of cowhide, and placed a man who was good at flutes under it to play the tune of homesickness. The sound was so sad and resentful that all 8,000 Chu army disciples dispersed." . The Han Dynasty kites mentioned here are just kites made of cowhide. After the advent of Cai Lun's papermaking technology in the Eastern Han Dynasty, paper kites began to be made, and the titles "paper kite" and "kite" appeared. The name "kite" is said to have appeared in the Five Dynasties. "Xuncu Lu" records: "Kite is a paper kite, also known as a wind kite. In the early days, Li Ye of the Five Dynasties made paper kites in the palace, and used strings to collect wind for his plays. Later, a bamboo was used as a flute on the head of the kite to let the wind into the bamboo, and the sound was like a kite. After the Tang Dynasty, kites became popular, and Qingming Festival was designated as the Kite Festival. After the Song Dynasty, it became popular among the people. Since then, the shape of kites has not been limited to magpies, kites, harriers and other birds, but also insects, fish, humans and gods. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, kite making has become a very exquisite handicraft art.

The Huizhou folk paper kites are no longer their original appearance. Most of them are square and flat with a tail. Their shape is similar to the folk door gods and gods, so they are suspected to be a simplification of the god-shaped kites. Among the people in Huizhou, making rubella is extremely simple. Just pick a bent bamboo branch and an upright one, support a square piece of paper, stick the tail on it, adjust the thread, and then let it fly. There is a kind of harrier without a tail, which is slightly larger in square shape and is called "Grandma's Harrier". It is so named because it is smooth and stable when it is released.

In addition, paper harriers of other shapes are also occasionally found.

On the Double Ninth Festival, people often climb high and fly kites on the streets and in the wilderness. Both children and adults do this, which is very spectacular.

According to our country’s traditional customs, kites are mostly flown during the Qingming Festival. Flying paper harriers during the Double Ninth Festival can be said to be a unique folk custom in Huizhou. Its origin cannot be studied. But judging from Huizhou's southern climate, the timing seems quite appropriate. Around the Qingming Festival is the rainy season, with constant spring rains. It is obviously not suitable to fly paper harriers at this time. However, around the Double Ninth Festival, the autumn air is crisp and the wind is constant. People follow traditional customs to climb mountains and engage in outdoor activities. At this time, the time and place are favorable for flying paper harriers. and, are quite suitable.

Eating Double Ninth Cake

In addition to drinking dogwood, chrysanthemum wine, and eating chrysanthemum food, there are many other food styles during the Double Ninth Festival. The most famous one is eating cake. In the north, eating Double Ninth Cake is particularly popular. Double Ninth Cake

According to "Xijing Miscellaneous Notes", in the Han Dynasty, there was a custom of eating Pengbao on September 9th, which was the original Double Ninth Cake. Bait is an ancient cake. According to "Zhou Li", bait is used as a sacrifice or eaten at banquets. Millet cakes are also recorded in the Han Dynasty, which may be similar to today's cakes. Pengbait must be similar to millet cake. By the Song Dynasty, the custom of eating Double Ninth Cake became very popular. The word "cake" is a homophonic word for "gao". Eating cake is for the auspicious meaning, so it is favored by people.

Double Ninth Cake is also called flower cake, chrysanthemum cake, and five-color cake. There is no set method for making it and it is more random. There are "rough flower cake", "fine flower cake" and "money flower cake".

Stick some coriander leaves as a symbol, and put green fruits, dates, walnuts and other rough dried fruits in the middle; the fine flower cake has 3 or 2 layers, each layer is sandwiched with thinner ones. Candied dried fruits, such as preserved apples, peaches, preserved apricots, dates, etc.; money flower cake is basically the same as fine flower cake, but smaller, like "money", and is mostly a food for the upper-class nobles.

It is said that in the early days, dates, chestnuts and other fruits were not sandwiched between home-made dough cakes, or glutinous rice and yellow rice flour were steamed into sticky cakes, which looked like flower cakes with "gold on top" and "silver on the bottom".

There is a poem describing the making of Double Ninth Cake:

Cai Yun:

The bonfire sounds and the night is busy,

The weaver takes a drink Denggao wine,

is still the same as the old Double Ninth Festival,

The steamed jujube cake fills the store with fragrance.

At dawn on September 9th, people put a piece of cake on their children’s foreheads and muttered something, wishing their children all the best. This was the original intention of the ancients to make cakes in September.

The special Double Ninth Festival cake should be made into nine layers, like a pagoda, with two lambs on top to match the meaning of Double Ninth Festival (sheep). Some people also put a small red paper flag on the Double Ninth Festival cake and light candles. This probably means replacing "climbing" with "lighting up lamps" and "eating cakes", and replacing dogwood with small red paper flags. Today, there is still no fixed variety of Double Ninth Cake. The soft cakes eaten on the Double Ninth Festival in various places are called Double Ninth Cake.

The Double Ninth Cake is not only eaten by oneself, but also given to relatives and friends, which is called "Sending Cake"; married daughters are also invited to go home to eat cake, which is called "Yingning".

Drinking chrysanthemum wine

Chrysanthemum is a famous flower in my country and a famous flower for longevity. "When the frost comes, only this grass flourishes." Due to the unique character of the chrysanthemum, the chrysanthemum has become a symbol of vitality.

As early as Qu Yuan's writings, there was a sentence of "eating autumn chrysanthemums in the evening", that is, taking chrysanthemum petals. Chrysanthemum wine has been around since the Han Dynasty. During the Wei Dynasty, Cao Wu once presented chrysanthemums to Zhong Cui on the Double Ninth Festival to wish him longevity. Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty recorded in "Baopuzi" that people in the mountains of Nanyang, Henan, lived longer because they drank the water from the sweet valley full of chrysanthemums. In the "Chrysanthemum Picking Chapter" written by Emperor Wen of the Liang Dynasty, there is a sentence: "We call each other and carry baskets to pick chrysanthemum beads. When the dew comes in the morning, we will be wet and wet." This is also the practice of picking chrysanthemums to make wine. Until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, chrysanthemum wine was still popular. It was still recorded in Gao Lian's "Eight Notes of Zunsheng" in the Ming Dynasty. It was a popular fitness drink.

During the Double Ninth Festival, my country has the traditional custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. Chrysanthemum wine was regarded as an "auspicious wine" that must be drunk during the Double Ninth Festival in ancient times to ward off disasters and pray for blessings.

The brewing of chrysanthemum wine in my country has been popular as early as the Han and Wei dynasties. According to "Xijing Miscellaneous Notes", "When the chrysanthemums are blooming, the stems and leaves are picked, and the millet is mixed to brew it. When it is ripe on September 9 of the next year, it is drunk, so it is called chrysanthemum wine."

Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty also said that "wine can cure all kinds of diseases, and chrysanthemum can prevent aging". Later, drinking chrysanthemum wine gradually became a folk custom, especially during the Double Ninth Festival, when people drink chrysanthemum wine. "Jingchu Age Records" records that "on September 9th, wearing dogwood, eating lotus ears, and drinking chrysanthemum wine can lead to longevity."

In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a variety of herbs were added to chrysanthemum wine , the effect is better. The preparation method is: decoct chamomile flowers, make wine with koji and rice, or add rehmannia glutinosa, angelica root, and wolfberry.

Because chrysanthemum wine can dispel wind and remove heat, nourish the liver and improve eyesight, reduce inflammation and detoxify, it has high medicinal value. Li Shizhen, a medical scientist in the Ming Dynasty, pointed out that chrysanthemum has the effects of "curing head wind, improving ears and eyes, removing fistulas, and curing all kinds of diseases".

In ancient times, chrysanthemum wine was specially brewed during the Double Ninth Festival of the first year for the Double Ninth Festival of the second year. On September 9th, the first blooming chrysanthemums and some green branches and leaves are picked, mixed with the grains prepared for wine making, and then used together to make wine, and kept until September 9th of the next year for drinking. Legend has it that drinking this wine can prolong your life. From a medical point of view, chrysanthemum wine can improve eyesight, treat dizziness, lower blood pressure, lose weight, lighten the body, replenish liver qi, calm the stomach and intestines, and benefit blood. It's a festive season, the air is crisp in autumn, the chrysanthemums are in full bloom, and everything under the fence in front of the window is golden. In addition to climbing high to plant dogwood trees, relatives and friends are invited to drink chrysanthemum wine and enjoy yellow flowers together, which is indeed a unique pleasure. Especially the poets enjoyed chrysanthemums, drank wine, recited poems and sang poems as rewards, leaving many good verses for future generations.

Because of the chrysanthemum wine, the Double Ninth Festival has become a Dionysus festival to worship the god of wine. For example, "Shandong Folk Customs·Double Ninth Festival" introduces that Shandong wine shops worship the vat god on the Double Ninth Festival, and the god is Dukang. In Maotai Town, Renhuai County, Guizhou Province, every year on the Double Ninth Festival, they begin to add ingredients and herbs to make wine. Legend has it that good wine can be brewed because of the strong Yang energy on the Double Ninth Festival. Whenever the first wine is baked, the boss lights incense and candles at the place where "Master Du Kang's shrine" is pasted, and puts out offerings to pray for smooth brewing (see "Chinese Folk Customs in English"). In Ningyuan, Hunan, every September 9th, there is a "competition to make wine to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival." These customs show that the Double Ninth Festival has a profound relationship with wine.

[Edit this paragraph] Double Ninth Festival in various places

In addition to the more common customs mentioned above, there are also some unique ways of celebrating the festival in various places.

The Double Ninth Festival coincides with the harvest season in northern Shaanxi. There is a song that goes: "On the Double Ninth Festival in September, we are busy harvesting the autumn. Millet, millet, come on stage." . In northern Shaanxi, the Double Ninth Festival is celebrated at night, and during the day there is a whole day of harvesting and hunting.

At night, when the moon rises above the treetops, people like to enjoy buckwheat noodles and mutton. After dinner, people walk out of their homes in twos and threes, climb to the top of a nearby hill, light fires, chat, and go home only when the rooster crows. When hiking at night, many people pick a few handfuls of wild chrysanthemums and put them on their daughters' heads when they get home to ward off evil spirits. In Puxian, Fujian, people follow the old custom of steaming nine layers of rice crackers during the Double Ninth Festival. In ancient my country, there was a custom of "eating bait" during the Double Ninth Festival. "Bait" is today's cakes, rice crackers and the like. The "Jade Candle Collection" of the Song Dynasty says: "Those who eat bait and drink chrysanthemum wine for nine days should collect millet and millet together at that time, so as to taste the new ones due to the delicious flavor of sticky rice, and this has become a long-standing habit." Song Zuqian, a Puxian poet in the early Qing Dynasty, said in his "Fujian Wine Song": "I was surprised to hear that the Double Ninth Festival was approaching, and I picked up wild incense with a basket in my slender hands. I pounded the jade pestle into green powder and wet it, and every pearl called for a taste." In modern times, people have transformed rice crackers into a distinctive nine-layer rice cracker. Wash the high-quality late rice with clean water, soak it for 2 hours, take it out and drain it, mix it with water and grind it into a slurry, add alum (dissolve in water) and stir, add red sugar (mix it with water and boil it into a sugar concentrate), and then put it in a steamer Place a clean cooking cloth on the pot, then scoop in the rice pulp in nine batches, steam for a while until cooked, and apply peanut oil on the surface of the rice. This rice cracker is divided into nine overlapping layers, which can be uncovered and cut into water chestnuts. The four sides are clearly layered and translucent. It is sweet, soft and tasty, and does not stick to the teeth. It is the best gift to honor the elderly during the Double Ninth Festival.

People in some places also take advantage of the opportunity of climbing mountains on the Double Ninth Festival to visit their ancestors' tombs and commemorate their ancestors. There are more people in Puxian worshiping their ancestors on the Double Ninth Festival than on the Qingming Festival. Therefore, there is a saying that the third month is the Little Qingming Festival and the Double Ninth Festival is the Great Qingming Festival. Since Puxian is located along the coast, the ninth day of September is also the anniversary of Mazu’s death. Many villagers go to the Mazu Temple in Meizhou or the Tianhou Ancestral Temple and Palace Temple in Hong Kong to offer sacrifices and seek blessings.

After the founding of New China, the activities of the Double Ninth Festival have been enriched with new content. In 1989, my country's Double Ninth Festival was designated as the Elderly Day. Every time on this day, various places organize autumn mountaineering excursions for the elderly to broaden their horizons, exchange feelings, exercise, and cultivate people's noble character of returning to nature and loving the great mountains and rivers of the motherland.

On September 9th in Xianghe County, Hebei Province, families related by marriage will send gifts to each other, which is called "Chasing Festival". Yongping Prefecture uses the weather of the Double Ninth Festival to predict whether it will be sunny or rainy in the future. If it rains during the Double Ninth Festival, it will also rain on these days. There are no mountains in Dianzhou County, so more people in the county climb the tower during the Double Ninth Festival.

People in northern Changyi, Shandong Province, eat spicy radish soup on the Double Ninth Festival. There is a proverb: "If you drink radish soup, the whole family will not suffer." Folks in Juancheng call the Double Ninth Festival the birthday of the God of Wealth, and every family bakes coke cakes to worship the God of Wealth. Zouping worshiped Fan Zhongyan on the Double Ninth Festival. In the old days, dyehouses and wineries also worshiped the vat god on September 9th. Daughters in Tengzhou who have been married for less than three years are not allowed to go back to their parents' homes to celebrate the festival. There is a saying that "if you go home to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival, your mother-in-law will die."

During the Double Ninth Festival in Xixiang County, Shaanxi Province, relatives and friends give gifts of chrysanthemums and chrysanthemum cakes. Scholars rewarded each other with poems and wine. It is said that women can cure heartache by picking dogwood by mouth on this day.

During the Double Ninth Festival in Jiangsu Province, people in Nanjing cut five-color paper into a bevel shape, connected it to form a flag, and placed it in the courtyard. Cheung Chau County eats a kind of pasta called "Camel's Hoof" during the Double Ninth Festival. Wuxi County eats Double Ninth Cake and Jiupin Soup during the Double Ninth Festival.

Shanghai Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai held a chrysanthemum party during the Double Ninth Festival, with scores based on three categories: novelty, nobility and rarity.

Shaoxing Prefecture in Zhejiang Province visit each other on the Double Ninth Festival. Unless there is a funeral in the family of a relative or friend, they will cry in front of the soul. Tonglu County prepares pigs and sheep for ancestors on September 9th, which is called the Autumn Festival. At the same time, they also tie rice dumplings on the Double Ninth Festival and give each other gifts, which is called Double Ninth Festival rice dumplings.

Late rice is harvested on September 9 in Dexing County, Jiangxi Province.

Tongling County in Anhui Province holds the Dragon Candle Festival on the Double Ninth Festival to welcome the mountain god. It is said that cutting bamboo horses for fun can drive away the plague.

Wuchang County, Hubei Province makes wine on the Double Ninth Festival. It is said that the wine brewed here is the clearest and will not spoil after being stored for a long time. The Double Ninth Festival in Yingcheng County is a day to fulfill vows. On this day, every family worships the god of Fangshe Tianzu.

Farmers in Changting County, Fujian Province give gifts of edamame from their fields, which is called the edamame festival. Flying kites on the Double Ninth Festival in Haicheng County is a show called "Fengcha".

On the Double Ninth Festival in Lianchuan, Guangdong Province, boys and girls gathered outside the city to sing songs, and people from the state gathered around to watch.

On September 9th, Nanxiong Mansion invited Taoist priests from Maoshan to establish the Queen Mother Association. Young women who want to have children will come to participate. On the Double Ninth Festival in Yangjiang City, paper kites are released and rattan bows are tied to them. The sound is very loud in mid-air. The people of Lingao County got up early on the Double Ninth Festival and shouted "Catch the Bobcats" in unison, taking this as a good omen for peace, prosperity and prosperity.

In Huaiji County, Guangxi Province, the Double Ninth Festival is regarded as the day when Emperor Yuan attained enlightenment. Men, women, old and young, all came out of the city to fulfill their wishes, all using cannons. In Long'an County, cattle and sheep are allowed to forage on their own on September 9th. As the saying goes: "On September 9th, cattle and sheep keep their own guard."

Scholars from Nanxi County in the old days of Sichuan Province gathered at Censhan Tower in Longteng Mountain on this day to commemorate the poet Cen Shen, which was called the "Cen Guild". According to old folk customs, glutinous rice should be steamed to make wine before and after the Double Ninth Festival. As the saying goes: "Wine steamed during the Double Ninth Festival is sweet and delicious."

The Jinnan area of ??Shanxi Province has had the traditional habit of climbing on September 9 since ancient times. Enjoying the view of the great rivers and mountains and admiring the scenic spots and historic sites has become a grand event of the festival. To this day, famous sayings such as "The universe is about to open up and we can climb high together", "The east wind cannot hold back, we are slowly rising to the top", "September welcomes the new sky, and agriculture, rural areas and farmers celebrate autumn" are still recited among the people.