Celebrates new double

Of its Chinese name Festival of the double yang (Chóngyángjié 重陽節) because nine is a figure yang, the Fête of the new double has rather obscure and very discussed origins. It is the festival of the ninth day of the ninth moon, that is to say the last lunation of the autumn. It is mentioned in writings of the time of the Western Han describing the life in with the capital, Chang' year. One can recognize in his current rites a function of protection against the calamities and a certain relationship with the ancestors (visit of the tombs in certain areas).

The principal activity of the day (deng gao 登高), which consists in climbing on a height spade-to screw there, is supposed to reproduce an action having formerly saved the life with a group of people. There exist several versions of the history differing by the identity from the characters and the type of avoided calamity. Are associated with this excursion the prophylactic absorption of wine of Chrysanthème (juhuajiu 菊花酒), precisely in full flowering, as well as a named grass zhu yu 茱茰 with the apotropaïques virtues.

Perhaps this is because the hills are often selected like place of burial that this day, in certain areas, one visits and cleans the tombs of the ancestors as at the day of Qing ming.

This bond with the ancestral tombs and the fact that the new figure (jiu 九), homonym for a long time (久), is a symbol of longevity made officially indicate the Festival of the new double like " day of the person âgée" .

Other activities which benefit from the seasonal characteristics enrich the festival: set of kites because the wind is often strong with this period, or contemplation of chrysanthemums.

A cake cooked with the vapor (chongyang gao 重陽糕) containing sweet chestnuts, pinions of pine and others Seed S and fruis dry, decorated with a paper flag, is also with the menu of the day. Like all its counterparts of the Chinese festivals, this gao (糕, cake) by its homonymy with " haut" (高) a wish of development and prosperity represents.

Contrary to the other great festivals (Chinese New year, Fête of the lanterns, Fête of the boats dragons, Fête of the semi-autumn) which remained generally popular, the Fête of the new double is very nowadays unequally observed. Nevertheless, its existence and the habits which are associated there continue to be taught with the young generations through the courses of civilization of the program of the elementary schools.

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Celebrates new double

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