中国节—— Chongyang Festival （重阳节）

Watch this episode of Festive China to see how China pays respect to the elderly, and get a closer look at the lives of the older generation.

When clear and refreshing autumn arrives and chrysanthemums envelope the world, it's time for the Chinese Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival.

The Double Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. In Chinese folklore, the number nine is the largest number - it's a homonym to the Chinese word jiu, which contains the auspicious meaning of 'a long and healthy life'.

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Double Ninth Festival

重 阳 节

关于时间

The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival, is also called 'Cornel Festival' and 'Chrysanthemum Festival', which has a history of more than 1,700 years. It usually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar.

农历的九月初九是重阳节，又名“茱萸节”，“菊花节”。这是一个很古老的节日，距今已有1700多年的历史。通常在公历（阳历）的十月份。

关于命名

In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing (The Book of Changes), number '6' was thought to be of Yin character, meaning feminine or negative, while number '9' was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine or positive. So the number nine in both month and day creates 'the Double Ninth Festival', or 'Chongyang Festival'. 

因为古老的《易经》中把“六”定为阴数，把   “九”定为阳数，在农历的九月初九那天，日月并阳，两九相重，故而叫“重阳”，也叫“重九”。

关于意义

In 1989, the Chinese government decided the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors' Day. The traditional culture of Double Ninth and that of the modern were finely combined. It becomes a festival of respecting for the elderly people, and loving, helping the old.

在1989年，我国把每年的农历的九月初九定为老人节。传统与现代巧妙地结合，使重阳节成为尊老、敬老、爱老、助老的节日。

The ninth month also heralds the approach of winter. It is a time when the living need warm clothing, and filial Chinese sons and daughters extended this to make the festival a time for providing winter clothes for their ancestors. The Double Ninth Festival, therefore, also became an occasion to visit the graves of dead family members.

九月也预示着冬天的来临。天气渐冷，人们需要准备衣服保暖，孝顺的子孙由此思及祖先，便将这天作为给先祖们烧冬衣的时间。因此，重阳节也成为了祭奠死去的家人的节日。

The Legend of Double Ninth Festival

重 阳 节 的 传 说

The story can be dated back as early as East Han Dynasty, there lived an old Taoist named Fei Changfang, who had become an immortal after many years of practicing Taoism. A young man named Huan Jing, he was worship him and was learning the magic arts from Fei Changfang. The old Taoist took him in and taught him how to defeat the devil. Heng Jing put his whole heart into study and practice.

相传，在东汉时期，有一位神通广大的道人名叫费长房。他习道多年，终于长生不老。一个叫桓景的青年很崇拜他，并想追随他学习道术。费长房就收他为徒，教他学本事。桓景也潜心学习，刻苦修炼。

One day, the two were climbing a mountain. Fei Changfang suddenly stopped and looked very upset. He told Huan Jing:' on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, disaster will come to your hometown. You must go home immediately. Remember to make a red bag for each one of your families and put a spray of cornel on every one. Then you must all tie your bags to your arms, leave home quickly and climb to the top of a mountain. Most importantly, you must all drink some chrysanthemum wine, Only by doing so can your families avoid this disaster.'

有一天，在爬山的时候，费长房对桓景说：“在九月初九这天，你们全家将有一场大灾难降临，你要提早回家做好准备。”桓景听了，十分惊慌，连忙跪下求师傅教给他躲避灾难的办法。费长房说：“在九月九这一天，你多做几个红色的布袋，里面放进茱萸，并缠到胳膊上，再带些用菊花浸泡的酒，携全家老小到一个高坡上饮酒。只有这样，你才能避开大祸。”

 On hearing this, Huan Jing rushed home and asked his family to do exactly as his teacher said. The whole family climbed a nearby mountain and did not return until the evening. When they got back home, they found all their animals dead, including chickens, sheep, dogs and even the ox. 

听到此言，桓景飞奔回家，让家人认真遵照他师傅的要求去做。到了九月初九这一天清晨，桓景带着家人来到附近的高坡，平安度过了这一天。到了晚上，桓景和家人一起回到家中一看，不觉大吃一惊，家里的牛羊鸡犬都死了。

Since then, climbing a mountain, carrying a spray of dogwood and drinking chrysanthemum wine became the traditional activities of the Double Nith Festival, to avoid evils spirits and misfortunes.

从此，重阳登高、插茱萸、饮菊花酒相沿成习，流传了近两千年，人们以此方式来驱邪避难

The Customs of Double Ninth Festival

重 阳 节 风 俗

一、Climbing Mountains/登高

The 9th lunar month, with clear autumn sky and bracing air, is a good time for sightseeing. So people, both ancient and present, love to go sightseeing this month. 

阴历9月这天，正值秋高气爽，适合旅行观光。所以，一到金秋九月，不论男女老少，都喜欢在此时旅行登高。

Apart from expelling bad luck and disasters, climbing mounting also indicates “climbing to a higher position”, and it is also an important reason why ancient people pay much attention about this custom. Another reason that climbing mountains are valued by people, especially by the elderly is that is has a meaning of “climb to a longevous life”. Also for this reason people believe that climbing mountains can make people live a more longevous life.

登高可以驱除霉运，还意指“晋升高位”。这也是古人为什么很重视这一传统习俗。登高之所以受人重视，特别受老人重视，是因为人们认为登高还意寓“登顶长寿”。除此之外，人们还相信登山能使人健康长寿。

It is really refreshing to climb mountains and enjoy the beauty of nature at this bright and clear time in autumn. Climbing mountains on Double Ninth Festival was already prevailing in the Tang Dynasty, and a lot of poems were devoted to this custom.

在九月登高既是件惬意放松的事，又是件可以欣赏到自然之美的幸事。重阳节登高，在唐代就开始盛行了，古时也有很多跟重阳登高有关的诗歌。

二、Eating Double Ninth Cake  吃重阳糕

Though the name of 'Gao' started from the Six Dynasties, the cakes had already existed in Han Dynasty, which was called 'Er' in China at that time. It is made of rice flour, which is classified into two types: paddy rice flour and millet rice flour. In September, the millet is ripe. It is regarded as the food just in season, which is offered to ancestors as sacrifices.

尽管“糕”这个名称源于六朝，但这种东西东汉就有了。那是人们称之为“饵”。饵用米粉做成，一般有两种：谷米粉和粟米粉。九月，粟米程度，它是当季的食物，通常会献给祖先作为祭品。

In China, 'gao(cake)' has the same pronounciation with 'gao(height)'. Mountains are high, so eating cake can, by a stretch of imagination, take the place of going for the Double Ninth Cake, but super cakes will have as many as nine layers,  like a tower.

在中国文化中，“糕”和“高”同音，所以吃糕也就代表了“登高”的意思，祝愿百事俱高。重阳糕没有固定的样式，但通常做成九层，看起来像一座塔一样。

三、Family get-togethers/家人团聚

The Double Ninth Festival is also a time for family get-togethers. It is an occasion to remember one's ancestors, the sacrifices they made and the hardships they undewent. Often, family outings are organised during which people search to renew their appreciaiton of nature and to reaffirm their love and concern for family members and close friends.

重阳节还是一个家庭团聚的节日。大家纪念先祖，感念他们的牺牲和遭遇的苦难。很多家庭也会一起出行，以感受大自然的魅力，也增进和亲友们的关系。

四、Enjoying Chrysanthemum Flowers  赏菊花

Chrysanthemum originated in China and was recorded in some Chinese books as early as the 5th century B.C. Chrysanthemum blossom in the ninth lunar month have a beautiful name of “flower of longevity”.

菊花产自中国，最早记载始于公元前5世纪。菊花在阴历九月盛开，它有一个美称“长寿之花”

  

五、 Drinking  Chrysanthemum Flower Wine  饮菊花酒

The chrysanthemum flower wine is unique in brewing. In ancient times，people usually picked fresh chrysanthemum flowers and leaves on the 9th of the 9th lunar month, and brewed the mixture of them and grains into the wine, which would not be drunk until the same day next year. The wine is said to have wholesome effects on sharpness of the eye, alleviation of headache, drop of hypertension, reduction of weight and removal of stomach trouble, thus contributing to longevity. It is said that the drinkers of the chrysanthemum wine would be free from evil and have strong physique against cold weather. 

菊花酒的酿造十分独特。古时，人们在九月九日采摘新鲜的菊花和菊花叶，然后把它们和谷粒一起酿制成酒。等到来年的同一时候再打开品尝。据说，菊花酒具有清神明目，减肥降血压，治疗胃病的功效。因此，可以饮菊花酒可以使人长寿。另外，饮菊花酒还有驱邪抗寒的效用。

六、Wearing Dogwood  插茱萸

The dogwood is a species of evergreen arbor; it is heavy-scented plant whose fruit is edible and stock and leaves can be medicinal materials. They can expel insects, get rid of the humidity, help digestion and cure inner heat. It puts out purple flowers in spring and bears, in autumn, purplish-brown fruit that is sour, puckery and mild in nature. 

茱萸为长青乔木。该植物具有浓香，它的果实可食用或干存。它的叶子可以用作药材。茱萸具有驱虫去湿，助消化去内热的功效。春季它开紫色的花，然后开始孕育果实。到了秋天，就结出了紫褐色，味酸，带皱，质感柔软的果实。

七、 Flying a paper crane（放纸鸢）

Paper crane is just kite. According to our traditions and customs, flying kites usually happen at the Qing Ming Festival. But Tomb Sweeping Festival is during the rainy season which obviously is not suit for flying a kite, while Double Ninth Day owns clear autumn sky and crisp air making kite flying a best outdoor activity.

纸鸢类似于风筝。据中国传统习俗，人们通常在清明节放风筝。但每逢清明，也是雨纷纷的时节，因而并不适合放风筝。相比之下，重阳节这天，秋高气爽，最适合户外放风筝。

Poem Appreciation

诗 歌 赏 析

九月九日忆山东兄弟

（唐-王维）

独在异乡为异客，

每逢佳节倍思亲。

遥知兄弟登高处，

遍插茱萸少一人。

Double Ninth, Missing My Shandong Brothers

(by Wang Wei in Tang Dynasty)

译其一

As a lonely stranger in a foreign land,

At every holiday my homesickness increases.

Far away, I know my brothers have reached the peak;

They are wearing the Zhuyu, but one is not present.

译其二

As a lonely stranger in the strange land,

Every holiday the homesickness amplifies.

Knowing that my brothers have reached the peak,

All but one is present at the planting of zhuyu.

自古有许多故事和重阳节相关，比如李清照的《醉花阴》，孟浩然的《过故人庄》以及王勃的《蜀中九日》等。王维的这首诗可谓是大家最耳熟能详的。此诗写出了游子的思乡怀亲之情。诗一开头便紧切题目，写异乡异土生活的孤独凄然，因而时时怀乡思人，遇到佳节良辰，思念倍加。接着诗一跃而写远在家乡的兄弟，按照重阳节的风俗而登高时，也在怀念自己。诗意反复跳跃，含蓄深沉，既朴素自然，又曲折有致。其中“每逢佳节倍思亲”更是千古名句。

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