Cultural Information: Double Yang Festival | |||||
The Double Yang Festival 重 陽 節 (Chong yang jie), also known as the Double Ninth Festival 重 九 節(Chong jiu jie) observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese Calendar, is a traditional Chinese holiday, mentioned in writing since before the East Han period (206 BC - AD220). According to the Yi Ching 易經, also called "Book of Changes" - the oldest of the Chinese classic text, nine is a "yang" number; the ninth day of the ninth lunar month (or double nine) has too much "yang" (a traditional Chinese spiritual concept) and is thus a potentially dangerous date. To protect against the danger, it is customary to climb a high mountain, drink chrysanthemum wine, and wear the zhuyu (茱萸) plant "cornus officinalis" which is a kind of Dogwood. (Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are considered to have cleansing qualities and are used on other occasions to air out houses and cure illnesses).
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