Double Nine Festival

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The Double Nine Festival got its name because it falls on the ninth day of the ninth month according to the lunar calendar. The number "nine" is prononciated as Jiu, a sound shared by another Chinese character which has an very auspicious meaning: "long-lasting."

When the number is repeated two times in a row, which is Jiu Jiu, it means those good things in life, such as your years, your luck, your blessings and your happiness, will last twice as long. You can tell how auspicious the double nine can be. Is there any other day that can be better than the Double Nine day?

You can only have one day like this in a year. On this day, the Chinese people customarily ascend a hill, eat Chinese cakes, drink wine and admire autumn flowers like chrysanthemums. It has been recorded in some of the best Chinese poems. That's why it's also a Height Ascending day, implying that your life quality level is geting higher and higher.

Double Nine Day is also called Chongjiu or Chongyang Festival . The ancient Book of Changes specifies "six" as a number of yin and "nine" a number of yang, so September 9 has the yang number in both month and day, two "nines" on this one day, thus the name "Chongyang" (dual yang) or "Chongjiu" (dual nine).

It is said that from the Han Dynasty on, people began to pray for longevity on the Chongyang Festival. It was a result from the influence of the Taoists' pursuit of eternal life. Some herbal medicines were taken for this purpose.

Chongyang Festeval Double Nine Day The cultural revolution detroyed many Chinese cultural traditions, including the Chongyang.

Since the late 1980s, the traditional holidays have gotten more and more important in China and the Chongyang was named as the "Senior Citizens Day". Respecting the old have been added to the old traditions, which gives the festival greater significance. It focuses on the Chinese traditional virtues of honoring, respecting, loving, and helping the old.

Various kinds of activities are arranged for seniors on this day, such as theatrical performances. The older people are invited to the celebration and are shown respect.

Other Important Chinese Holidays:

Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival

The Chinese Spring Festival is the biggest holiday in China and lasts for 15 days, though workers normally have 3 days off. Here are more details.

Qingming Festival

Some people call it the Pure and Bright Festival. Here are more details about this sad yet beautiful occasion.

Mid-Autumn Festival

It falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and is also called the Moon Festival, a day for moon cakes. Here is some more information about the moon festival, moon cakes, and the legend of moon cakes; just click these links.