The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is Chinas traditional Chongyang Festival， or Double Ninth Festival.

In an ancient Chinese 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.

In 1989， the Chinese government decided the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors Day. It becomes a festival of respecting， loving and helping the old.

农历九月初九是中国的传统节日——重阳节。

中国的古籍《易经》中把“六”定为阴数，把“九”定为阳数。农历九月九日，日月并阳，两九相重，故而叫“重阳”，也叫“重九”。

1989年，中国政府把农历九月初九定为“老人节”，重阳节成为敬老、爱老、助老的节日。

Traditional Customs of

Double Ninth Festival

重阳节的传统习俗

Climbing Heights

登高

The ninth lunar month， with clear autumn sky and bracing air， is a good time for sightseeing. So people， both young and old， love to go sightseeing this month.

Apart from expelling bad luck， climbing heights also indicates “climbing to a higher position”， and it was an important reason why ancient Chinese people paid much attention to this custom. Another reason why climbing heights was valued by ancient people was that it meant “climbing to a longevous life”.

農历九月，秋高气爽，正是外出游玩的好时节。所以，一到金秋九月，老的少的都喜欢外出游玩观光。

登高可以“除霉运”，还意指“晋升高位”，这是中国古人重视这一习俗的重要原因之一。登高之所以受古人重视的另一个原因是他们认为登高意寓“登顶长寿”。

Eating Double Ninth Cake

吃重阳糕

The Double Ninth cake is also known as the chrysanthemum cake or the flower cake. “糕” （cake） shares the pronunciation with “高” （high， tall） in Chinese. Therefore， the Double Ninth cake has been favored by the Chinese people for its auspiciousness.

重阳糕又名“菊花糕”或“花糕”。中文中“糕”与“高”同音，吃糕是取其吉祥之意，因而受到中国人的青睐。

Enjoying Chrysanthemum Flowers

赏菊

The Double Ninth Festival falls on a season for chrysanthemum appreciation， so it is also called the Chrysanthemum Festival. The ninth lunar month is commonly known as the month of chrysanthemum.

重阳节是赏菊花的时节。因此，重阳节又称“菊花节”，农历九月俗称“菊月”。

Drinking Chrysanthemum Flower Wine

饮菊花酒

It has been customary for the Chinese people to enjoy chrysanthemum wine at the Double Ninth Festival. It was seen as a “lucky wine” in ancient China because people believed that drinkers of the chrysanthemum wine would be free from evil and have strong physique against cold weather.

中国人有在重阳节饮菊花酒的传统习俗。菊花酒在中国古代被视为“吉祥酒”，因为古人认为饮菊花酒能驱邪，让饮酒者有强健的身体抵御严寒。

Wearing Cornel Twigs

戴茱萸

The cornel is a species of evergreen plant; it is a heavy-scented plant whose fruit is edible and leaves can be used as medicine. Ancient Chinese people wore the cornel twigs on their arms or heads at the Double Ninth Festival because they believed the cornel could expel insects and get rid of the humidity.

茱萸是一种长青植物。该植物具有浓香，它的果实可以食用，叶子可以用作药材。中国古人在重阳节这天把茱萸戴在手臂上或头上，因为他们认为茱萸有驱虫、祛湿的功效。

Word Bank

appreciation /?'pri??i'e??n/ n. 欣赏

customary /'k?st?m?ri/ adj. 习俗的；习惯的

physique /f?'zi?k/ n. 体格；体形

humidity /hju?'m?d?ti/ n. 潮湿