September 9 of the lunar calendar, for the traditional Chongyang Festival, also known as the "Festival of the Elderly". Because the "I Ching" in the "six" as the number of Yin, the "nine" as the number of Yang, September 9, the sun and the moon and Yang, the two nine heavy, so it is called Chung Yeung, also known as Chung Kau. Chongyang Festival has been formed as early as the Warring States period, to the Tang Dynasty, Chongyang was officially designated as a folk festival, and since then it has been inherited by successive dynasties. The name "Chongyang Festival" was first recorded in the Three Kingdoms era. According to Cao Pi's "The Book of the Ninth Day and Zhong Yao", "Years go by and months come and go, and suddenly it is the ninth day of the ninth month of the ninth lunar month. Nine is the number of Yang, and the sun and the moon and should be, the popular Ka its name, think it is suitable for a long time, so to enjoy the feast will be high."
Chung Yeung Festival, first of all, the custom of climbing, September in autumn, high and refreshing, this season to climb up and look around can be achieved to the heart, fitness to get rid of the purpose of the disease. And the high and high associated with the custom of eating heavy sun cake. High and cake resonance, as a holiday food, the earliest is to celebrate the harvest of autumn grain, happy to taste the intention of the new grain, after the folk have climbed up to eat cake, take step by step to get higher in the meaning of good luck.
Chung Yeung Day, there has always been the custom of chrysanthemum appreciation, so the ancient also known as the Chrysanthemum Festival. Lunar September is commonly known as the month of chrysanthemums, the festival organized chrysanthemum conference, dumping the city's crowds to go to the meeting to enjoy chrysanthemums. Since the Three Kingdoms, Wei and Jin dynasties, it has become fashionable to gather and drink wine, enjoy chrysanthemums and write poems on Chrysanthemums. In ancient Han Chinese custom, chrysanthemums symbolize longevity. In ancient times, it was also customary to insert cornelian cherry blossoms into the cornelian cherry tree, so it is also called Cornucopia Festival. Cornus officinalis is used in medicine and can be used to make wine to nourish the body and dispel diseases. Wang Wei's "September 9 Memories of Shandong Brothers" was written on this day.
Ancient people considered it an auspicious day to celebrate, and began to celebrate this festival from a very early age. The Chongyang Festival is a traditional Han Chinese festival that combines a variety of folklore into one. The celebration of Chongyang Festival generally includes activities such as going out to enjoy the scenery, climbing up to a high altitude, viewing chrysanthemums, inserting dogwoods all over the place, eating chrysanthemum cakes, drinking chrysanthemum wine, etc. The festival is also known as the "9th day of the 9th moon". Nine nine Chongyang, because and "long time" the same sound, nine in the number is the largest number, there is a long life meaning, and the fall is also the golden season of the year's harvest, Chongyang Festival, meaning far-reaching, people have always had a special feeling about this festival, Tang poetry and Song Dynasty has a lot of congratulations on the Chongyang, chrysanthemum poetry masterpieces.
In the folklore concept, the nine suns, because with the "long time" homophonic, contains a long life, health and longevity of the symbolism. 1980s, some parts of China's summer calendar, the first nine as the Elderly Day, to advocate the whole society to set up a respect for the elderly, respect for the elderly, love for the elderly, old people to help the culture.
The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, on May 20, 2006, the folklore approved by the State Council included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. This year (2009), the Chongyang Festival falls on October 26 of the Gregorian calendar.
[edit]Origin of Chongyang Festival
The Chongyang Festival is a festival with a long history, and due to its long history, the formation of the festival is not easy to examine clearly. Therefore, about the origin of the Chongyang Festival, there are different ways of saying:
One:
The origin of the Chongyang can be traced back to the pre-Qin Dynasty. Lv's Spring and Autumn Annals" in the "Jiuqiu Ji": "(September) ordered the family slaughter, agricultural preparations for the harvest, citing the five kinds of key. Hidden in the god warehouse of the emperor's book, respect and order." "It is also the day, the great feast to the emperor, taste the sacrifice, tell the preparation in the son of heaven." It can be seen that there were already in the fall and September when the crop harvest offerings to the emperor, ancestor worship, in order to thank the emperor, the ancestors of the activities of grace.
The Han Dynasty, "Xijing Miscellany" in the record of the Western Han Dynasty courtesan Jia Peilan said: "September 9, wear cornelian cherry, eat pong bait, drink chrysanthemum wine, the cloud makes people long life." Legend has it that since then, there has been the custom of seeking longevity on the Chongyang Festival. This is influenced by the ancient sorcerer (later Taoist) to pursue longevity, collecting drugs to take. At the same time there are large-scale drinking and drinking activities, is by the pre-Qin time to celebrate the harvest of the development of the feast. Jing Chu chronicle: "September 9, the four people and the wild drinking feast." Sui Du Gongzhan note cloud: "September 9 banquet, unknown from what generation, but since the station to Song has not changed." The festival's foundation is to seek longevity and to drink and feast.
During the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Pi, the Emperor of Wei, said, "The ninth day of the ninth month and the book of Zhong Qiao": "The years go by and the months come and go, and suddenly the ninth day of the ninth month. Nine is the number of Yang, and the sun and the moon and should be, times its name, thought it is suitable for a long time, so to enjoy the feast will be high." Can be seen at that time the festival has been stereotyped. The theme of Chongyang Festival is to seek longevity, wear dogwood, brew chrysanthemum wine, enjoy chrysanthemums, brew wine and sacrifice to the god of wine industry. After being passed down to the present day and added the connotation of respect for the elderly, more meaningful, in addition to the high wild feast activities and a variety of games. [1]
Second:
One of the archetypes of the Chung Yeung Festival is the ancient ritual of sacrificing to the Great Fire.
As the ancient seasonal astrological symbol of the "Great Fire" (i.e., the heart of the second), in the seasonal fall in September receded, "Xia Xiaozheng" said "September within the fire," the retreat of the Great Fire, not only to make the ancient people who have always been to the Great Fire as the seasonal production and the seasonal life of the markers, lost the coordinates of time. Lost the coordinates of time, at the same time the ancient people who worshiped the fire as a god to produce inexplicable fear, the hibernation of the fire god means the arrival of a long winter, therefore, in the "inner fire" season, such as its emergence of the fire ceremony to welcome the fire, people have to hold the corresponding send-off rituals. Ancient rituals, although it is difficult to know, but we can still find some ancient customs from the later Chongyang Festival Yi traces. Such as Jiangnan part of the custom of Chrysanthemum sacrificial stove, is the home of the fire god, which can be seen in ancient September sacrifice "fire" traces. Ancient people long will Chongyang and on the Si or cold food, September 9 and March 3 as the corresponding spring and autumn festival. Han Liu Xin "Xijing miscellany" said: "March on the Si, September Chongyang, make female games, this purification and purification of high." The correspondence between the last six months, cold food and heavy sun, is based on the "big fire" as the basis.
With the progress of people's livelihood technology, people have a new understanding of time, "fire calendar" gave way to the general calendar. September fire ceremony died, but the people of September due to the decline of Yang Qi caused by the changes in natural resources still have a special feeling, so the ancient custom of ascending to avoid the taboo is still transmitted to the city, although the world has a new interpretation. Chongyang in the people's life has become a time marker for the transition between summer and winter. If the last six, cold food is people over the long winter after the room swim in the Spring Festival, then Chongyang is about in the autumn cold to the new, the people are about to live in seclusion when the ceremonial significance of the autumn tour, so the folklore of the last six "trekking", Chongyang "resignation of the green". Chrysanthemum festival is centered around people's feelings of this season to unfold. [2]
[edit]Chrysanthemum Festival Customs
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum, also known as the yellow flower, belongs to the family of chrysanthemums, a wide range of varieties. China is the hometown of chrysanthemums, and it is common to cultivate chrysanthemums since ancient times. Chrysanthemum is the flower of longevity, and for the literary people praised as a symbol of the unyielding chrysanthemum frost, so people love it, praise it, so often held large-scale chrysanthemum exhibition. Chrysanthemum exhibition is naturally held in Chung Yeung, because the relationship between chrysanthemum and Chung Yeung is too deep; therefore, Chung Yeung is also known as Chrysanthemum Festival, and chrysanthemum is also known as the nine flowers. Appreciating chrysanthemums has also become an integral part of Chongyang Festival customs. In the Song Dynasty, "Tokyo Dreaming Records" Volume 8: "In September, there are several kinds of chrysanthemums to be enjoyed under the Chrysanthemum Festival. The yellow and white stamens of the lotus room said 'Wanling chrysanthemum', pink said 'peach blossom chrysanthemum', white and sandalwood heart said 'wood fragrance chrysanthemum', yellow and rounded 'Jinling chrysanthemum', pure white and big. ', pure white and large said 'hi Rong Ju. Nowhere.
Ming Dynasty, in the "Taoan Mengyi" recorded: "Yanzhou Shao Shen family style attacked the royal family. Chrysanthemum viewing day, its table, its kang, its lamp, its stove, its plate, its box, its basin, its watch, its cups, plates, goblets, its pots, its apartment, its mattress, its wine; its pasta, its clothes pattern, no chrysanthemums night burning candles to light, steam baking and dyeing, more than the sun's color floated out of the several layers. Seats scattered, remove the reed curtains to be exposed to heavy dew."
Chrysanthemum appreciation in the Qing Dynasty, such as the "Yanjing Times": "Nine flowers, chrysanthemums. Every session of the Chung Yeung, the rich and noble families, to nine flowers hundreds of pots, racks and degrees of wide buildings in the former Xuan after the light (Xuan short, the car in front of the high after the low called Xuan, before the low after the high called Xuan, a metaphor for the high low superiority and inferiority), look at the if the mountain, said 'nine flowers mountain child'. Piled up on all sides, said 'nine flowers tower'." In the "qingjia record" in suzhou chrysanthemum appreciation activities, said: "borders chrysanthemum at first release, hufu flower farmers, has dried ounce (ancient belly small vessels) hundreds of pots and pans into the city. Residents buy bottles to wash for the enjoyment of the people, or five or seven for one, the stalks placed in the cooked wire, laying down can be as desired. Or in the garden building stacked thousands of pots for play, crepe paper for the mountain, the number of chrysanthemum mountain. And the tea house is especially prevalent." Another book, such as "Plum in a Golden Vase", "Six Records of Floating Life" and other books also have records of chrysanthemum appreciation. To this day, during the Chung Yeung Festival, major parks still organize large-scale chrysanthemum exhibitions and tie chrysanthemums into various types of plants and animals, characters and other shapes, which are very beautiful.
Advancement
One of the most important festivities of the Chrysanthemum Festival is the ascent of heights. Therefore, the Chongyang Festival is also known as the "Festival of Ascending Heights". The place to climb to, there is no uniform rules, generally is to climb high mountains, climb high towers.
As early as in the Western Han Dynasty, "Chang'an Zhi" in the capital of the Han Dynasty on September 9, when people play to view the record. In the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there is the famous "Longshan fall hat" story. According to the book of "Jin" in the "Meng Jia biography", the day of the September sun, the Jin Dynasty, Huan Wen and the army general Meng Jia and others climbed the Dragon Mountain (today's Hubei Jiangling County, northwest of a mountain), Meng Jia viewing the mountain scenery, and even the cap was blown away by the wind also do not know. Huan Wen told people to write a composition to laugh at him, he did not show weakness, essay reply, a moment passed for a good story.
In the south, Liang Wu Jun in the "renewal of Qi Harmony" recorded a miraculous story: Huan Jing, Ru Nan, with Fei Changfang traveled to study, Fei Changfang asked him to let his family members on the day of the Chung Yeung to make a Jiang bag, Sheng cornelian dogwood tied arm, and climbed high, drink chrysanthemum wine, to avoid disaster. Huanjing did as he was told, and only then did he escape the disaster. This story vividly reflects the people's psychology of avoiding evils and getting rid of disasters during the Chung Yeung Festival.
Of course, people are not only climbing, but also to view the mountain leaves and wildflowers, and drink wine and eat meat, enjoy some, so that the combination of climbing and wild feast, more attractive. Such as the Sui Sun Simiao "Qianjin Fang - month": "Chongyang day, will be to see the wine to climb high and far away, for the time of the banquet tour ornamental, in order to enjoy the fall. Wine must pick cornelian cherry, chrysanthemum to pan, that is, drunk and return." Remember the Sui dynasty customs, has been similar to later generations. In the Southern Song Dynasty's "Dream Sorghum Records" Volume 5: "The sun and moon shuttle fly, turn to look forward to the Chung Yeung. ...... is the day of 'Mengjia climbed Longshan drop hat, Yuanming to the east hedge to enjoy chrysanthemum', exactly the story." Han Yuanji of the Southern Song Dynasty, "Song of Water - Nine Days," the first piece: "Today I am the ninth day of the year, not to be ashamed of the chrysanthemum blossoms. Try to find a high place, hand in hand to take the show on Cuiwei. Putting eyes on the pale cliffs of ten thousand measures, cloud protection dawn frost into the array, know that I come with you. Ancient temple leaning on the bamboo, flying threshold absolute tip E." Describes the chrysanthemum appreciation and the rhyme of the scenery.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Beijing region is quite prosperous, "Yanjing Times" cloud: "The Beijing division is said to be the ninth day of the ninth month for the Chongyang. Every September 9, then all people with pots and pillars, out of the capital to ascend. South is the Tianning Temple, Taoranting, Longjiaohuai, etc., the north is the Jimen Smoke Tree, clear purification domains, etc., as far as the Western Hills, eight places. Poetry and wine, baked meat and cake, inquire about the happiness of the moment also." Not thesis people people, all like to climb the mountain after picnic, roast meat to eat. Some of the rich relatives with curtains and tents, baking equipment, horses and carts, musical instruments, climbing platforms, earth slopes, set up curtains and tents, tables and chairs, eat pop roasted lamb or shabu-shabu, and singing and playing music, listening to songs and watching dances. Such as the end of the Qing Dynasty Empress Dowager Cixi, every year in the Beihai East Peach Blossom Hill climbing, picnic, barbecue, and set up a blue cloth barricade, to prevent the idle peeping. In yuyuantan fishing platform and other places, also concentrated a lot of guests. The Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City also has the mountain.
Another example is the Guangzhou area, tourists more than in the Chung Yeung climbed Baiyun Mountain, drinking and poetry, lively and influential to this day. In Shanghai, no nearby hills, they will be the Shanghai South Danfeng building and Yuyuan Garden as a large rockery, also very lively. To the Republic of China years simply climbed twenty-four-story International Hotel. And modern Beijing Xiangshan, Shandong Ox Mountain, Nanchang, Jiangxi Tengwangge, etc., are also climbing resorts. Especially Tengwang Pavilion, because of the Tang Dynasty Wang Bo in the Chongyang Festival in the Pavilion wrote a thousand years of famous text "Tengwang Pavilion Preface," more famous throughout the world. As for the Longshan in Jiangling, Hubei Province, to commemorate the Jin Dynasty Mengjia fall cap on the cap platform monuments, also attracted many tourists.
As the Chongyang for the autumn festival, after the festival grass began to wither, so there are called the Chongyang Festival field trip activities for the "resignation of the green", and the spring tour in March, "step on the green" of the statement corresponds to. Qing Pan Rong ah "imperial capital years and times record" records: "(Chung Yeung) have to rule to see with a drink in the countryside of each door to drink all day, called 'resignation of the green'." This is also a poetic name.
On the origin of the custom of ascending, there are different ways of saying:
One says that it may have originated from the ancient worship of the mountain gods, thinking that the mountain gods can make people free from disasters. So people in the "yang pole will change" on the day of the sun, to go to the mountains to play, in order to avoid disaster. Perhaps initially to worship the mountain god for good luck, and then gradually transformed into a recreational activity. (In ancient times, it was believed that "Nine is the old sun, Yangji will change", September - nine days, the month, the day are the number of the old sun, inauspicious. Therefore, the derivation of a series of activities to avoid bad luck and seek longevity, not as Cao Pi, the Emperor of Wei Dynasty, said that nine is "suitable for a long time" of the number. This is the view of the Ming Shi Zhaozhi "five miscellaneous Tsui".
A said Chongyang season, the fall harvest has been completed, farming is relatively idle. At this time in the mountains and fields of wild fruits, medicinal herbs and so on is the season of maturity, farmers have to go to the mountains to collect wild fruits, medicinal herbs and plant raw materials for the side industry. This kind of gathering in the mountains was called the "small fall harvest" by the farmers. Climbing the custom of the original may be evolved from this. As for the centralization of the day of Chung Yeung, it was a later event. That means as a symbol, starting point to promote the role, just like the spring is suitable for planting trees, people set a tree planting day of the same reason. In addition, the weather during the Chongyang Festival is sunny, cool temperatures, suitable for climbing to the distance.
Peating Cornus - Hairpin Chrysanthemum
The Chrysanthemum Festival is also known as the Cornus Festival because of the custom of wearing a cornelian cherry on the Chrysanthemum Festival. Cornus officinalis is an important symbol of the Chrysanthemum Festival. People also like to wear chrysanthemums at the festival. Cornus corniculatus is also known as the "Evil Weng", and chrysanthemum is also known as the "longevity guest". Pai Cornus
Cornus officinalis is a kind of fruit that can be used as traditional Chinese medicine, because the cornelian cherry is produced in the Wu Di (the area of Jiangsu and Zhejiang today) is of the best quality, and thus it is also called Cornus officinalis, and it is also called the Yue Pepper or the Ai Zi, and it is a kind of small evergreen tree, and the tree can be grown to more than one zhang in height, and the leaves are pinnately compounded, and the green and white flowers are blooming in the beginning of the summer, and the fruits are like peppers; and they ripen in the fall. The fruit is yellow when it is young, and becomes purplish red when it is ripe. It has the effect of warming the middle, relieving pain, and regulating qi, etc. It is also used to cure cholera. Cornus leaf can also cure cholera, and the root can kill insects. The Compendium of Materia Medica says that it has a pungent and aromatic odor and is warm and hot in nature, so it can cure cold and expel poison. Ancient people believe that wearing cornelian cherry can ward off evil spirits and disasters.
Chrysanthemum dogwood custom in the Tang Dynasty is very popular, people believe that in the Chrysanthemum Festival on this day insert dogwood can take refuge from disasters; or wear in the arm, or as a bag of cornelian cherry inside the belt, known as cornelian cherry bladder, there are also inserted in the head. Mostly women and children wear, some places, men also wear. Chrysanthemum Festival to wear cornelian cherry, in the Jin Dynasty Ge Hong "Western Scripture Miscellany" has been recorded. In addition to wearing cornelian cherry, people also wear chrysanthemums on their heads. This was already the case in the Tang Dynasty and has been practiced throughout the ages. In the Qing Dynasty, the custom of the Chongyang Festival in Beijing was to put chrysanthemum branches and leaves on doors and windows to "lift up the evils and attract good luck". This is a variation of the head hairpin chrysanthemum. Song Dynasty, there will be colorful silk cut into cornelian cherry, chrysanthemum to give each other to wear.
Chrysanthemum Cornus in fact, and the Dragon Boat Festival, the role of the male yellow and calamus is almost the same, the purpose is to get rid of insects and moths. Because after the Chongyang Festival, is the October small spring, the weather has a period of time to warm up; and in the Chongyang before a period of time, autumn rain and humidity, autumn heat has not yet receded, clothing easy to mildew. This is also the time when osmanthus flowers bloom, so folk called "osmanthus steam", this time must prevent insects. Cornus has a small poison, have the effect of removing insects, the production of cornelianthus capsule custom is exactly this way.
But after the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the custom of wearing cornelian cherry gradually rare. The reason for this change is probably to be found in the subtle shift in the center of gravity of the Chanyang Festival. In the early days of the people's lives, the emphasis was on avoiding evil spirits and eliminating disasters. With the improvement of people's living conditions, people not only paid attention to the current reality of life, but also gave more expectations to the future life, praying for longevity and life extension. Therefore, the status of "longevity" (chrysanthemum) eventually overshadowed that of "avoiding evil" (dogwood).
Paper Harrier Flying
Flying paper harriers is the main custom of the Chongyang Festival in Huizhou. In other words, the Huizhou folk festival is mainly characterized by the release of paper harriers. In addition to the ballads circulating in Huizhou, the Guangxu Huizhou Prefectural Records also has a record of this custom. Flying paper harriers
Paper harriers are also known as kites nowadays. The kite is the title after the Five Dynasties, before the Five Dynasties, the north used to call "paper kite", the south is mostly called "harrier", Huizhou's "paper harrier" title is obviously retained before the Five Dynasties, the ancient name, and the "paper harrier" is also called "kite". The ancient name, and there is a "North-South mix" flavor.
Kites were first seen in the Spring and Autumn period, and the first types were birds. According to legend, Gong输般(Lu Ban) "cut the bamboo into cranes and flew them" and "made wooden kites to spy on the city of Song". The "bamboo magpie" and "wooden kite" here are the prototypes of kites. However, there was no paper at that time, so it could only be made of bamboo and wood. Qing notes say "Han Xin led an army of 100,000 people to attack Xiang Yu in Gaixia, and made a kite with cowhide, and placed a good flute under it to play the song of homesickness, and the sound was sad, and 8,000 disciples of the Chu army were all dispersed". Here the Han Dynasty kite, but also just a kite made of cowhide. After Cai Lun's papermaking technique was introduced in the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were paper kites, and there were the titles of "paper kite" and "harrier". The appearance of the name "kite" is remembered to have appeared in the Five Dynasties, and the "Inquiries and Ruminants Records" recorded that: "Kite, that is, paper kite, is also known as wind kite. At the beginning, Li Ye made paper kites in the palace in the Five Dynasties, leading the wind as a play, and then used bamboo as a flute at the head of the kite to make the wind enter the bamboo, sounding like a kite, and was commonly known as the kite." After the Tang Dynasty, kites became popular and the Qingming Festival was designated as the Kite Festival, and after the Song Dynasty, kites were popularized among the people. Since then, the shape of kites has not been limited to magpies, kites, harriers and other birds, insects, fish, people and gods, and after the Ming and Qing Dynasties, kite making has become a very exquisite handmade art.
Huizhou folk paper harrier, has not been the original face, mostly quadrilateral plane, with a tail, its shape is similar to the folk posted door god, god, so it is suspected that a simplification of the god-like kites. In Huizhou folk, wind rash production is extremely simple, picking bamboo a branch of the bend, a vertical, hold up a quadrilateral paper, stick on the tail adjusted line, you can fly. There is a kind of not with a tail, quadrilateral paper slightly larger, called "Granny Harrier", to fly when smooth, stable and named.
In addition, other shapes of paper harriers are also found occasionally.
On the day of Chrysanthemum Festival, people fly kites on the streets and in the wilderness with children and adults, which is also very spectacular.
According to the traditional habits of our country, flying kites in the Qingming. The Chrysanthemum Harrier can be said to be a unique custom of Huizhou folk. Its origin is not to be examined. But from Huizhou's south of the collar climate view, the time seems to be quite appropriate. Before and after the Qingming for the rainy season, spring rains, this time is obviously not suitable for the release of paper harriers, and before and after the Chung Yeung Autumn high and refreshing, strong winds, people in accordance with traditional customs to climb the mountain, outdoor activities, at this time to release the paper harriers, the right place, right time, right person and, is quite a lot of for the right.
Eat Chrysanthemum cake
Chrysanthemum dietary style, in addition to the aforementioned drinking dogwood, chrysanthemum wine, eat chrysanthemum food, there are a number of, the most famous is to eat cake. In the north, the wind of eating Chongyang cake is especially prevalent. Chongyang cake
According to the "Xijing Miscellany", the Han Dynasty, there has been a September 9 to eat the custom of pong bait, that is, the original Chongyang cake. Bait, that is, the ancient cake. The Han Dynasty also recorded a millet cake, may not be far from today's cake. Peng bait, must also be similar to the millet cake and so on. To the Song Dynasty, eat Chung Yeung cake style flourished. Cake and high harmonics, eat cake is to take the meaning of good luck, and thus favored by the people.
Chung Yeung cake, also known as flower cake, chrysanthemum cake, five-color cake, the system is not fixed, more random, "brown flower cake", "fine flower cake" and "money flower cake.
Stick some coriander leaves as a sign, in the middle of the green fruit, small dates, walnuts and other brown dried fruit; fine flower cake with three layers, two layers, each layer of the middle of the thin candied fruits, such as dried apples, dried peaches, apricots, dates, and so on; money and fine flower cake cake and basically the same, but smaller, as the "money", mostly from the upper-class families, and the "money" is the same, but it's not the same. The money flower cake is basically the same as the fine flower cake, but smaller, like "money", is mostly the food of the upper class nobles.
It is said that, in the early years, not at home with hairy flour cake sandwiched between dates, chestnuts and other fruits, or river rice, yellow rice flour steamed into a sticky cake, like "on the gold", "under the silver" of the flower cake.
There is a poem describing the production of Chongyang cake:
Cai Yun:
Campfire sound machine night work busy,
Weaver a drink to the wine,
still wind and rain of the ancient Chongyang,
Steamed jujube cake full of incense.
September 9, when the sky is bright, with a piece of cake on the forehead of the children, the mouth recited the words, wishing their children a hundred things are high, is the ancient people in September for the cake of the original intention. The delicate Chongyang cake to be made into nine layers, like a pagoda, above also made into two small sheep, in line with the meaning of Chongyang (sheep). Some also inserted a small red paper flag on the cake, and light candles. This is probably the "light", "eat cake" instead of "high" meaning, with a small red paper flag instead of cornelian cherry. Today's Chongyang cake, there is still no fixed varieties, all over the Chongyang Festival to eat the fluffy cakes are called Chongyang cake.
Chongyang cake is not only eaten at home, but also gifted to friends and relatives, called "send cake"; and please married daughters to go home to eat cake, called "Ying Ning".
Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine
Chrysanthemum is a famous flower in China, and it is also a famous flower for longevity. At the time of "frost, only this grass flourishes", chrysanthemum has become a symbol of vitality due to its unique character.
As early as in Qu Yuan's writing, there has been a "dinner in the fall of the autumn chrysanthemum" sentence, that is, serving chrysanthemum petals. In the Han Dynasty, there was already chrysanthemum wine. Cao Wu in the Wei Dynasty had given chrysanthemums to Zhong Zhuan in the Chongyang Festival, wishing him a long life. Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty wrote in his book "Hug Park Zi" that people in the mountains of Nanyang, Henan Province, prolonged their lives by drinking sweet valley water with chrysanthemums growing all over it. In Emperor Jianwen's "Chrysanthemum Picking", there is a sentence "We call each other to pick chrysanthemum beads in baskets, and the dew is wet and stains the roses", which is also the act of picking chrysanthemums to make wine. Until the Ming and Qing Dynasties, chrysanthemum wine is still prevalent, in the Ming Dynasty, Gao Lian's "Zunsheng eight paper" is still recorded, is the prevalence of fitness drinks.
During the Chrysanthemum Festival, there is a traditional custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine in China. Chrysanthemum wine, in ancient times, was regarded as a must-drink, disaster relief and pray for good luck "good luck wine".
The brewing of chrysanthemum wine in China has been popular as early as in the Han and Wei Dynasties. According to "Xijing Miscellany", "chrysanthemum Shu, and pick stems and leaves, mixed millet for brewing, to the next year, September 9 began to ripen, on the drink, it is called the chrysanthemum wine."
Tao Yuanming of the Jin Dynasty also said, "Wine can get rid of all diseases, and chrysanthemums can control the age of decay. Later, drinking chrysanthemum wine gradually became a folk custom, especially in the Chongyang Festival, more to drink chrysanthemum wine. The Jing Chu Chronicle says, "On September 9, wear dogwood, eat lotus ears and drink chrysanthemum wine to make you live longer."
By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, chrysanthemum wine was added to a variety of herbs, and its effect was even better. The production method is: decoction of chrysanthemum flowers, with quartz, rice wine or add rhubarb, angelica, Chinese wolfberry medicines.
As chrysanthemum wine can remove heat, nourish the liver and improve eyesight, reduce inflammation and detoxification, it has high medicinal value. Li Shizhen, a medical doctor in the Ming Dynasty, pointed out that chrysanthemum has the efficacy of "treating head wind, brightening the ears and eyes, removing fistulae and curing all kinds of diseases".
In ancient times, chrysanthemum wine was brewed at the first year's Chrysanthemum Festival specifically for the second year's Chrysanthemum Festival. September 9 this day, pick the first blooming chrysanthemum and a little verdant branches and leaves, mixed in the grain ready to brew, and then used together to brew, put to the next year to drink on September 9th. Legend has it that drinking this kind of wine can prolong one's life. From a medical point of view, chrysanthemum wine can brighten the eyes, cure dizziness, lower blood pressure, lose weight, lighten the body, tonify the liver, settle the stomach and intestines, and benefit the blood. During the festive season, when autumn is fresh and chrysanthemums are in full bloom, the hedges in front of the windows are filled with golden flowers. In addition to climbing up to insert dogwood, friends and relatives are invited to drink chrysanthemum wine, *** to enjoy the yellow flowers, it is really interesting. Especially the poets, chrysanthemum drinking, poetry and singing, leaving a lot of good lines for future generations.
Because of the chrysanthemum wine, Chung Yeung has become the festival of the wine god to worship the god of the wine industry. For example, "Shandong Folklore - Chongyang Festival" introduces that Shandong wine workshop sacrificed to the god of cylinder in Chongyang Festival, and the god is Dukang. In Guizhou Renhuai County Moutai Town, every year, the sun, began to cast the material under the medicine brewing, legend has it that is because of the nine nine suns, Yang Qi is strong to brew a good wine. Whenever the first wine is baked, the owner will light incense and candles in the place where the "God of Du Kang" is posted and place offerings to pray for the success of the brewing (see Chinese Folklore Cai Ying Lu). In Ningyuan, Hunan Province, on the ninth day of the ninth month, "the competition to make wine is held on the day of the Chongyang wine". These customs show that the relationship between the sun and wine is very deep.
[Edit paragraph] Around the Chongyang Festival
In addition to the above more common customs, there are some unique forms of festivals.
Chongyang Festival in northern Shaanxi is the harvest season, there is a song sung: "September in nine Chongyang, harvest ah ah ah harvest fall busy. Grain ah, surimi ah, on ah on the field". Shaanbei over Chongyang in the evening, the day is a full day of harvesting, playing field. At night, the moon over the treetops, people love to enjoy buckwheat boiled mutton, to eat dinner, people go out of their homes in twos and threes, climbed the nearby hills, lit a fire, talk about the sky and the earth, to be called by the chickens before going home. Night climbing, many people are picking a few handfuls of wild chrysanthemums, home inserted in the daughter's head, to avoid evil spirits. In Fujian Putian, people follow the old custom, to steam nine layers of Chung Yeung rice fruit, China's ancient times have Chung Yeung "food bait" custom, "bait" that is today's pastries, rice fruit and so on. Song Dynasty "Jade Candle BaoDian" cloud: "nine days of food bait, drink chrysanthemum wine, the time of corn, broomcorn and harvest, in order to stick to the flavor of rice to touch the class to taste the new, and then become a habit. Early Qing Dynasty Putian poet Song Zuqian "Min wine song" said: "I was shocked to hear that the festival is near the Chung Yeung Festival, the delicate hand with a basket to pick up the wild fragrance. Pestle and mortar pounded into a green powder wet, the pearls call Lang taste". In recent times, people have also converted the rice fruit into a very distinctive Jiuzhong Rice Fruit. High-quality late rice with water washing, soaking for 2 hours, drained, mixed with water and ground into a thin pulp, add alum (dissolved in water) mixing, plus red plate sugar (mixed with water boiled into a thick liquid sugar), and then placed in a steamer on the pot, laying on a clean cooking cloth, and then divided into nine, scooped into the rice fruit pulp, steamed for a number of hours that is cooked out of the cage, the surface of the rice fruit smeared with peanut oil. This rice fruit overlap in nine layers, can be uncovered, cut into diamond angles, four sides of the hierarchy, was translucent body, eating sweet and soft to the mouth, and not sticky teeth, can be called the best gift to honor the elderly Chung Yeung.
The masses in some places also have the opportunity to take advantage of the Chung Yeung mountaineering, sweeping ancestral tombs, commemorating the ancestors. Putian people to Chongyang ancestor worship than the Qingming for more, so the custom has to March for the small Qingming, the ninth for the big Qingming said. Due to the Putian coast, the ninth day of the ninth month is also the anniversary of Mazu's ascension to heaven, the townspeople go to the Mazu Temple in Meizhou or the port of the Tin Hau Ancestral Shrine, the Palace of worship, to seek blessings.
After the founding of New China, the Chongyang Festival activities enriched with new content. 1989, China's Chongyang Festival is designated as the Day of the Elderly. Every day, all over the world to organize the elderly mountaineering autumn tour, broaden their horizons, exchange of feelings, physical exercise, and cultivate people back to nature, love the motherland's great mountains and rivers of noble character.
Xianghe County, Hebei Province, September 9, families with in-laws will send gifts to each other, known as the "Festival of Chase". In Yongpingfu, the weather of Chongyang is used to determine the future rain or shine. If it rains on the Chongyang Festival, it will also rain on these days. There are no mountains in Dianzhou County, so the county people often go up to the city tower to climb high on the Chongyang Festival.
Shandong Province Changyi northern people eat spicy radish soup on the Chongyang Festival, there is a proverb: "Drink the radish soup, the whole family does not suffer". The people of Jancheng call the Chongyang Festival the birthday of the God of Wealth, and every family burns a cake to sacrifice the God of Wealth. In Zouping, Fan Zhongyan is worshipped in Chongyang, and in the old days, dye houses and wine houses also worshipped the god of cylinder on September 9th. Tengzhou married less than three years of daughter, taboo back to her mother's home for the holidays, there is a "home over the Chongyang, death of her mother-in-law," said.
Shaanxi Province, Xixiang County Chrysanthemum Festival, friends and relatives to chrysanthemum, chrysanthemum cake gifts. The scholar and son to poetry and wine to appreciate each other. It is said that women can cure heartache by picking cornelian cherry in their mouths on this day.
Jiangsu Province Chung Yeung Festival, Nanjing people to five-color paper chiseled into a slanting shape, linked into a flag, inserted in the court. Changzhou County Chanyang Festival to eat a noodle called "camel's feet". Wuxi County Chrysanthemum Festival to eat Chrysanthemum cake, nine products soup.
Shanghai Shanghai Yuyuan Chrysanthemum Festival in the Chrysanthemum Festival, to the new, noble, rare three scores to determine the high and low.
Zhejiang Province, Shaoxing Province, the Chongyang Festival to visit each other, unless friends and relatives have a funeral, only to the spirit of the cry. Tonglu County, September 9 to prepare pigs and goats to ancestors, known as the autumn festival. At the same time also in the Chrysanthemum Festival tie zongzi, gift each other, known as the Chrysanthemum zongzi.
Jiangxi Province, Dexing County, September 9, cut late rice.
Tongling County, Anhui Province, the ninth day of Chongyang for the Dragon Candle will welcome the mountain gods. Cutting bamboo horses for the play is said to expel the plague.
Wuchang County, Hubei Province, in the Chung Yeung Day brewing, it is said that this brewed wine is the most clean, and long hiding not bad. Yingcheng County, Chongyang Festival is the date of wishing, even the family are on this day to worship the god of the square community Tianzu.
Changting County, Fujian Province, farmers picking field beans to gift, known as the Mao Bean Festival. Haicheng County Chongyang Festival kite flying as a play, known as the "wind Crew".
Guangdong Province, Lianchuan Chongyang, boys and girls are to the city outside the gathering to answer the song, the state people watch. Nanxiong Province on September 9, please Maoshan Taoist priests to build the Queen Mother will, want to seek heir to the young women will come to participate. Yangjiang City, Chongyang Festival release paper kites, and tie rattan bow on it, in mid-air sound very loud and clear. Lingao County people rise early on the Chongyang Festival, everyone shouted "catch the cat", as an auspicious omen of peace and prosperity.
Huaji County, Guangxi Province, to the Chung Yeung for Yuan Di to get the road of the Chen. Men and women, young and old, out of the city, Sai God reward wishes, all with cannons. Longan County, September 9 to let cattle and sheep foraging for food on their own, as the saying goes: "September 9, cattle and sheep are guarded".
In Sichuan Province, the old Nanxi County readers on this day in Longtengshan Censhan building gathering to commemorate the poet Cen Sen, known as the "Cen Guild". The old folk custom is to steam wine with glutinous rice and make mash before and after the day of the festival. As the saying goes: "Chrysanthemum steamed wine, sweet and savory".
Shanxi Province, Shanxi Jinnan region since ancient times, there is a September 9, the traditional habit of ascending. The festival has become a feast for those who want to see the great mountains and rivers, and admire the famous monuments. So far in folklore recited "Qiankun open victory, my generation together high", "the east wind can not stay, Ran up the peak", "September Xinxin new clearing, three farmers to celebrate the fall" and other famous words.