(Credit: CFP.CN)

The Double Ninth Festival:

A tradition of appreciating Chinese culture and venerating the elderly

重阳节：

感悟中华文化，传承敬老美德

每年农历九月初九，是中国传统节日“重阳节”。二九相重，称为“重九”，民间在该日有登高的风俗，所以重阳节又称“登高节”。

On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, comes the traditional Chinese holiday: the Double Ninth Festival. The number nine in both the month and the day creates the double nine. The Festival is also called "the Height Ascending Festival" because of the custom of climbing a high mountain.

重阳节已有两千多年的历史，重阳节的起源最早可以推到春秋战国时期。

With a history of over two thousand years, the Double Ninth Festival could be dated back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.

战国时代，重阳已受到人们重视，但只是在帝宫中进行的活动。

The festival got some attention by the latter time, but it was only observed in the palaces of the emperors.

汉代，过重阳节的习俗渐渐流行。相传汉高祖时一位侍女被逐出宫，嫁与贫民为妻，侍女便把重阳的活动带到了民间，从此重阳的风俗便逐渐在民间传开了。

In the Han dynasty, observing the Double Ninth Festival gradually became popular. A tale has it that this festival got prevalent because a maidservant was expelled from the palace and married a poor man and thus brought the relevant activities to the folks.

唐朝时，重阳节才被定为正式节日。从此以后，宫廷、民间一起庆祝重阳节，并且在节日期间进行各种各样的活动。

The custom of observing the double ninth day didn’t become a regular festival until the Tang dynasty. From that time on, both court people and ordinary people would celebrate the festival and enjoy a variety of activities on this holiday.

每年九月初九都要登高、食重阳糕、饮菊花酒、佩茱萸，以求长寿。

It is customary to climb a high mountain, eat rice cakes, drink chrysanthemum liquor, and wear the zhuyu plant, Cornus officinalis, as a wish to avoid evilness and prolong life.

与登高相联系的，有吃重阳糕的风俗。高和糕谐音，作为节日食品，最早是庆祝秋粮丰收、喜尝新粮的用意；之后，民间才有了登高吃糕，取步步登高的吉祥之意。在北方，吃重阳糕之风尤盛。

Apart from ascending a height, people will eat Double Ninth Gao (or Cake) on this holiday. In Chinese, gao (cake) has the same pronunciation with gao (height). Eating cakes, a holiday food, was designated to celebrate good harvest in the autumn and tasting new food. Later, people do so just to hope progress in everything they are engaged in. Eating Double Ninth Gao is especially popular in northern China.

重阳日，历来就有赏菊花的风俗，所以古来又称菊花节。农历九月俗称菊月，节日期间举办菊花大会，倾城的人潮赴会赏菊。

The Double Ninth Festival is also called the Chrysanthemum Festival since ancient times, because it falls on a season for chrysanthemum appreciation. Commonly known as the month of Chrysanthemum, the lunar ninth month was a grand occasion for appreciating diversified species of chrysanthemum and people across the town would go for it.

从三国魏晋以来，重阳聚会饮酒、赏菊赋诗已成时尚。在中国古俗中，菊花象征长寿。菊花酒，在古代被看作是重阳必饮、祛灾祈福的“吉祥酒”。

Since the time of three kingdoms and the period of Wei and Jin dynasties, gatherings, drinking, enjoying the chrysanthemum and composing poetry had become fashionable. Chrysanthemum represents longevity in the ancient customs. The chrysanthemum wine was regarded as a must and “propitious drink” to protect against danger.

古代还风行九九插茱萸的习俗，所以又叫作茱萸节。茱萸香味浓，有驱虫、祛湿、逐风邪的作用，并能消积食、治寒热。

The festival is also called the Zhuyu Festival, because of the popular tradition of wearing the Zhuyu plant, dogwood on this holiday. With a strong fragrance, the plant serves the function of expelling insects, getting rid of humidity, exorcising evilness, improving digestion and curing the cold and fever.

民间认为九月初九也是逢凶之日，多灾多难，所以在重阳节人们喜欢佩戴茱萸以辟邪求吉。

People like wearing Zhuyu on this holiday to summon good luck and avoid evilness, because they thought the double ninth is a potentially dangerous date.

由于九月初九“九九”谐音是“久久”， 有长久之意，所以常在此日祭祖与推行敬老活动。

As double ninth was pronounced the same as the word signifying “forever” in the Chinese characters, both are “Jiu Jiu,” people would hold activities to worship their ancestors and venerate the elderly.

1989年，中国将农历九月九日定为老人节，倡导全社会树立尊老、敬老、爱老、助老的风气。

In 1989, the Chinese government decided the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors’ Day, encouraging people to respect, take good care of and love the seniors around the country.

2006年5月20日，重阳节被国务院列入首批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。

On May the 20th, 2006, the Double Ninth Festival was included in the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list.

2012年12月28日，法律明确每年农历九月初九为老年节。

On December the 28th, 2012, it was stipulated by the law as the day for the elderly.

2013年7月1日，新修订的《中华人民共和国老年人权益保障法》正式实施。

On July the 1st, 2013, the newly revised version of the Law on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Aged in China was put into implementation.

中国人自古以来奉行的是“百善孝为先”。从历史文化传承来说，尊老敬老爱老是中华民族的传统美德。

It has been practiced by Chinese people since ancient times that “Filial piety is the most important of all virtues.” From the point of passing on traditional culture, respecting, taking good care of and loving the seniors is a traditional virtue of the Chinese nation.

让每一位老人“老有所养，老有所乐”是全社会义不容辞的责任。

It is duty-bound for all the society to make the elderly receive support and enjoy entertainment.