Autumn Thoughts | Double Ninth Festival
As October enters, the weather becomes slightly cooler. A strong wind blew away the smoke, blew down the remaining leaves, and opened up the dark clouds. The air is crisp in autumn and the sun is shining brightly. People come out of the gloom and are in a bright mood. The Double Ninth Festival is here!
This day is in the mid-autumn season. The sky is high and the air is crisp. It is a good time to climb up and have a good view and relax your mind. Many literati in the past dynasties of China would climb to high places at this time to drink chrysanthemum wine and recite poems for fun, leaving behind countless poems.
Remembering Shandong Brothers on September 9th
(Tang Dynasty) Wang Wei
Being a stranger in a foreign land, I miss my family even more during the festive season.
I know from afar that when my brothers climbed to a high place, there was only one less person planting dogwood trees.
Climb high
It can be seen from the poem that one of the most important festival activities during the Double Ninth Festival is Climb high . Therefore, the Double Ninth Festival is also called ” Ascending Festival “. There are no uniform rules for climbing wherever you go. Generally, you climb mountains and towers. Of course, people not only climb mountains, but also enjoy the red leaves and wild flowers on the mountain, drink wine and eat meat, which makes the combination of climbing and picnic more attractive.
Inserting dogwood
The custom of planting dogwood trees was popular in ancient times, so it is also called ” Dogwood Festival “. Cornus officinalis is used as medicine and can be used to make wine to nourish the body and cure diseases. Planting dogwood and hairpin chrysanthemums has been very common in the Tang Dynasty. Cornus officinalis has a strong fragrance and has the functions of repelling insects, removing dampness, and driving away wind evil. It can also eliminate accumulated food and treat cold and heat. Folks believe that the ninth day of September is also a day of misfortune and disaster, so people like to wear dogwood on the Double Ninth Festival to ward off evil and seek good luck. Therefore, Cornus officinalis is also known as the “evil warder”.
Eat Double Ninth Cake
According to historical records, 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 relatively random. 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 high” 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.
I am walking on the road of life until September 9th, the Double Ninth Festival. I miss my old friends in my heart. I have not been together for many days. I miss them all the time and I say a blessing. Guangzhou Glorystar wishes you happiness by your side and a smile every day.
