The Chrysanthemum Festival on the 9th day of the 9th month of September, also known as the "Chrysanthemum Festival", is a festival that honors ancestors and sweeps their graves. Chongyang Festival, also known as Denggao Festival, Chongjiu Festival, September 9, Cornucopia Festival, Chrysanthemum Festival and so on. It is the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. There are a lot of customs of Chongyang Festival, here I will give you an introduction to its customs.
One, ascend
On the day of the Chongyang Festival, there is a common folk custom that people want to go out on this day to ascend to the mountains. In ancient times, people worshiped the mountain gods, that "nine old sun, Yangji will change", so in September 9, to go to the mountains to climb the mountains to worship the mountain gods for good luck, and then gradually evolved into a recreational activities.
September in the golden autumn, the sky is high, this season to climb high and far away can achieve the purpose of the heart, fitness and disease. As for the wait until the place, there is no special provisions, generally is to climb high mountains, climb high towers.
Two, release the paper kite
Release the paper kite is one of the main customs of the South over the Chongyang Festival. Folk over the Chongyang Festival is to fly paper kites (kites) as the main feature. The Guangxu "Huizhou Prefecture Zhi" has also recorded. In the folk tradition, in addition to ascending the heights, flying paper kites is also a feature of the Chongyang Festival. As to why people want to fly paper kites (kites) in the Chung Yeung, in addition to the Chung Yeung sky high clouds, light wind and sunshine, paper kites can easily ride the wind on the climatic reasons, there are also some between the witch yarrow between the argument, in the uncensored quite interesting.
According to legend, in the Chung Yeung when the paper kite is in order to "put the bad luck", the paper kite flying higher and farther away, the bad luck is also flying far away, and even more, but also special will break the line, so that the kite disappeared in the clouds outside the sky. Another kind of explanation is that the Chung Yeung release paper kite is "put auspicious", "put fortune", the paper kite fly the better, the more intense the fortune, the paper kite not only can't break the line, but also do everything possible to protect it, because if the line breaks, the If the silk thread is broken, the "good luck" and "fortune" will also float away.
Three, chrysanthemum
Traditionally, the Chongyang Festival has the custom of viewing chrysanthemums, so in the ancient times, the Chongyang Festival was also called the Chrysanthemum Festival, and people believe that chrysanthemums are a symbol of longevity, and during the Chongyang Festival, many places will hold chrysanthemum assemblies and chrysanthemum exhibitions, and the whole city will go out to enjoy the chrysanthemums. In addition to viewing a wide variety of chrysanthemums, chrysanthemum lanterns will be lit, wine banquets will be held, and music and drums will be played to celebrate the Chongyang Festival.
Four, ancestor worship
The Chrysanthemum Festival, along with New Year's Eve, Ching Ming Festival, and Chinese New Year's Day, are known as the four major traditional ancestor worship festivals in China. As early as in the pre-Qin period, when the crops were harvested, people had the custom of sacrificing to heaven and earth and ancestors in September to thank them for their kindness.
However, the worship of Chongyang Festival is to thank the ancestors for their kindness and pray for their blessings after the crops are harvested, so the atmosphere is relaxing and pleasant, and there will not be the sadness of "pedestrians wanting to break their souls".
Five, eat Chongyang cake
Chongyang cake, also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake, five-color cake, the shape of the shape is not fixed, according to the heart of the change, broadly speaking, eat around the fluffy cakes can be called Chongyang cake.
1, delicate Chongyang cake should be made into nine layers, like a pagoda, the top is also made into two small sheep, in line with the meaning of Chongyang (sheep).
2, some also inserted a red flag made of paper on the Chongyang cake, and light candles, meaning red-hot, lively and festive meaning.
Additionally, in some places, on the day of the Chongyang Festival, married daughters have to carry chrysanthemum wine and Chongyang cake back to visit their parents, which is called the return of the parents, in fact, this is a kind of respect for the elderly and love of the elderly activities.