Happy Seniors’ Day! Since 1966 the Double Ninth Festival has celebrated Senior members of the community. The ‘Double Ninth Festival’ is also known as Chong Yang Festival; which burrows its name from the calendar date meaning the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar. In Chinese ‘Chong’ means ‘double’ and ‘Yang’ is a nod to the number nine (9) which is the highest Yang number. and its also known as as the Chrysanthemum Festival. This year the festival falls on 22 Oct 2023, in the Universal calendar. *Actually 23 Oct in Australia due when New moon occurred.
Like all festivals the origins are steeped in folklore and myth. The ‘Double Ninth Festival’ is sometimes called ‘Mountain-climbing Festival’. As the name suggests- people climb mountains! Some say this is a nod to the number nine, as its the highest number and to climb high is akin to climbing high in ones career or social standing (a high ranking in ancient times).
Folklore also denotes that planting of cornel twig slips on the Double Ninth Festival was believed to dispel evil like diseases and avert disaster. Dogwood is an extremely strong hard wood (also called Boxwood) used in furnishings and in Christian circles it’s said the cross of Calvary was fashioned from the tree. Walking sticks were also whittled for the purpose of climbing hills on the Festival day.
Others believe that in the foothills of Lishan Mountains a fortune teller predicted a great flood. A family, who had shown kindness to a Seer, was forewarned of the flood and climbed the Mountain, loosing their home, but surviving the disaster. In paintings and scrolls the season of Autumn, is often depicted with scenes of great mountain ranges and water gorges.
The ninth month was known to the Ancients as Chrysanthemum month, so the flower features greatly in Festival celebrations. Favoured by poets, cooks and gardeners alike. Known as the flower of longevity its nectar is used in various longevity elixirs and the bloom is oft hung in doorways to dispel bad luck.
No festival would be complete without tucker. It’s seems if you had Chrysanthemums in your garden, you won’t grown thirsty or hungry! The blousy bloom formed the bases for the “chrysanthemum cake”, a traditional treat on this day. Over the centuries the sweet cake took on various forms and additions, the most elaborate and impressive being the “Chong Yang Gao’- a nine story pagoda cake, with a pair of sheep gracing the top pillar.
If liquids are more your jam so to speak, then Chrysanthemum wine or tea was also on the menu. Some say on the 9th of the 9th the tradition was to harvest the flowers, while others are content with quaffing the liquid nectar - they fashioned one year previously. Apparently drinking of this wine, cured drunkenness!!! Can’t say I’ve sampled, so I can’t vouch for the possibility. If alcohol isn’t your tipple then a tea is also fashioned on the day. The reason for drinking either infusion is rooted in the symbolism of the flower - the flower of longevity. And according to ancient records, drinking the wine made with chrysanthemums petals, poria cocos and pine oleoresin, is said to promise long lasting youth! Hence the Senior’s day observation to instill longevity.
The Double Ninth usually occurs in October, which usually coincides with Dog Month - and Dogwood. Also known as Cornel. The berried autumn branches were popular adornments to women and children’s attire. As previously mentioned, the planting of the tree on this day to dispel evil, was also very popular and sometimes it was added to Chrysanthemum wine infusions. (S.H readers note, Feb/End April are when the Autumnal Solar Term are felt down-under, with Chrysanthemums seasonally in flower for making Chrysanthemum wines).
Like all festivals in the Chinese calendar, family gatherings are encouraged. Especially catching up with senior family members to celebrate their seniority. And veneration of Ancestor tombs, is also popular on this day. Noting the Dog in Chinese folklore is a Guardian, likened to Anubis in the Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead’. It’s no coincidence that compass wise the Dog positionally sits NW, known as Heaven’s Gate, where the Summer Sun sets, and dips below the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere. Hence perhaps the significance of ancestral veneration at this time of year (Halloween)?
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