重陽節的來源(10分!!!)

Double Ninth Festival
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The Double Ninth Festival (Chinese: 重九; pinyin: Chóngjiǔ, also Traditional Chinese: 重陽節; pinyin: Chóngyángjié or Chung Yeung Festival in Hong Kong) dated on the ninth day of the ninth month in Chinese calendar (October 30 in 2006), is a traditional Chinese holiday, mentioned in writing since before the East Han period.

According to the I Ching, nine is a yang number, 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. Hence, the day is also called "Double Yang Festival" (重陽節). To protect against the danger, it is customary to climb a high mountain, drink chrysanthemum wine, and wear a plant named zhuyu (茱萸). (Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are considered to have cleansing qualities and are used in other occasions to air out houses and cure illnesses.)

Double Ninth may have started out as a day to drive away danger, but, like the Chinese New Year, over time it became a day of celebration. In contemporary times it is an occasion for hiking and chrysanthemum appreciation. Stores sell rice cakes (糕 "gāo" a homonym for height 高) inserted with mini colorful flags to represent zhuyu. Most people drink chrysanthumum tea, a few strict traditionalists drink homemade chrysanthemum wine. Children in school learn poems about chrysanthemum, and many localities host a chrysanthmum exhibit. Mountain climbing races are also popular; winners get to wear a wreath made of zhuyu.

This is an often-quoted poem about the holiday:

"Double Ninth, Missing My Shandong Brothers" - Wang Wei (Tang Dynasty)

Original:

《九(jiǔ)月(yuè)九(jiǔ)日(rì)憶(yì)山(shān)東(dōng)兄(xiōng)弟(dì)》 王維

獨(dú)在(zài)異(yì)鄉(xiāng)為(wèi)異(yì)客(kè)，
每(měi)逢(féng)佳(jiā)節(jié)倍(bèi)思(sī)親(qīn)。
遙(yáo)知(zhī)兄(xiōng)弟(dì)登(dēng)高(gāo)處(chù)，
遍(biàn)插(chā)茱(zhū)萸(yú)少(shǎo)一(yī)人(rén)
English:

As a lonely stranger in the strange land,
Every holiday the homesickness amplifies.
Knowing that my brothers have reached the peak,
All but one is present at the planting of zhuyu.

重陽節

　　農曆九月九日，是中國傳統的「重陽節」，由于「九」屬陽數，所以又叫「重九」。重陽節的風俗主要是登高，插茱萸，飲菊花酒和賞菊。
　　登高的起源，是有一段神話故事。據說束漢時代，有一個仙人名費長房。一天，他對弟子桓景說：「九月九日，你的家鄉將會有大災難。這一天，你帶領全家登上高山，每人并用紅袋子裝些茱萸，綁在手臂上，再喝點菊花酒，就可以消災解難了。」桓景按照師傅的話去做，傍晚回到家裏，果然見到家中的牲畜都死光了。自此之後，重九登高避難的風俗就流傳下來。在香港，重陽節已成為另一個掃墓的日子。
　　農曆九月是菊花盛開的時節，菊花有除熱解毒的功效；茱萸的葉子可治霍亂，根可以殺蟲，所以古人在重陽節飲菊花酒，佩帶茱萸，有辟邪延壽的意思。今天，佩帶茱萸的習俗，已經沒有了。但有些地方在重陽節還有吃菊花糕的習俗。

This is the second of the grave sweeping holidays, together with Ching Ming which is in the spring.

The things you do are basically the same, it is traditionally a day for the family to go and respect their deceased ancestors. When we were young we took this seriously though in my family it is not so much any more.

However if you do go to the graves on that day you will see many people there, it's a busy time and as well as being a Chinese tradition -- and a family tradition for many -- it can also be a nice day out. Of course there are sad thoughts too.

Traditional you are supposed to "go up the mountain" on this day. The story goes that a long time ago there appeared a devil of plague in the Ruhe River. A kid named Heng Jing was taught by an old Taoist how to defeat this plague.

The priest told the boy that the devil would come back on the 9th of September and told him to go back and save the village. He did this by telling them to go climb up a mountain, then while the villagers were safe he tricked the plague devil with some strong Chinese wine made of Crysanthemum flowers and killed him.