中国古代重阳节 Double Ninth Festival in Ancient China

菊糕、茱萸、金花酒Chrysanthemum Cake, Cornel and Golden Flower Wine

重阳节是农历九月初九。九被称为阳，是因为中国古人认为奇数是阳，偶数是阴。十进制里，九是一个数位上最大的数字，这样，九也是最大的阳数。九月九日就是两个最大的阳数。

The Double Ninth Festival has been set on the ninth day of the ninth month in Chinese lunar calendar. Nine was called a Yang number because ancient Chinese people believed that odd numbers belonged to Yang while even numbers belonged to Yin. In decimal system, nine is the largest number for a digit. So, nine is also the largest Yang number. And the ninth day of the ninth month has two largest Yang numbers.

因为现世生命被认为是阳，而这一天阳数最大，所以古时这个日子也作为老人祈求长寿的日子。

Because of the two largest Yang numbers，the date was taken as a day for praying for longevity for senior people as the present life was believed to be a Yang period.

登高Height Climbing

重阳节登高有两个原因。第一，这一天阳数最大。天气由秋入冬时，阳气上升收敛，阴气覆盖大地，万物归于安静。所以，人们要到高处才能顺应和找到作为生命动力的阳气。第二，人们要“辞青”。到了深秋，大地的绿色都变成五颜六色；人们要跟绿色告别。

There were two reasons for climbing heights in the festival. First, the date has the largest Yang numbers. When it turns from autumn to winter, Yang energy goes up and hides while Yin energy covers the earth for everything to rest. So people need to climb to higher places to follow and find the Yang energy as their power of life. Second, people would “say farewell to the green”. In late autumn, the green on earth all turns into other colors. And people need to say goodbye to it.

赏菊Enjoying Chrysanthemum

重阳前后正是菊花盛开的时间。赏菊作为活动，除了看花，还要品尝应景食物。一是重阳糕。糕与高同音。有的说法是要做成九层，上面放两只小羊，因为羊与阳同音。这里的寓意就是重阳登高了。二是菊花酒。中国人喜欢用各种药材泡酒。在中医里，菊花有清热明目的功效。菊花一般是金黄色的，所以古诗里也叫做金花酒。

Chrysanthemum is in full bloom round the time of the festival. As a festive activity, enjoying chrysanthemum includes tasting cuisines for the festival besides looking at the flowers. First, there was the snack known as the Double Ninth Cake. In Chinese, the character for cake has the same pronunciation as the character for height. In some recipe, the cake was made into nine layers with two small goats placed atop it, as the character for goat in Chinese has the same pronunciation as the character for Yang. So there is the implication about climbing height in the festival. Second, people drank chrysanthemum wine. Chinese people like steeping various kinds of medical materials in liquor. In traditional Chinese medicine, chrysanthemum has the function of clearing heat and eyesight. The flower is generally in golden color, so the liquor was also called golden flower wine in ancient Chinese poem.

插茱萸Wearing Cornel

茱萸是落叶小乔木，结小红果子，有香味，可以入药。古代人都喜欢用各种材料制作香料，最常见的是有香味的植物枝叶果实。把果实包在锦囊里或者直接把枝叶和果实插在衣服或者头上，身体上也就有香味。这样可以去除体味，驱赶昆虫，植物中挥发物质也有益于健康。

Cornel is a type of small tree that bears small red fruits, deciduous, aromatic and herbal. Ancient people liked to use all kinds of materials to make spice. Plant branch, leave and fruit are the most commonly-seen. Putting fruits inside a silk sachet or pluck twig, leaves and fruits all on hair or clothing, people had herbal scent all over their body. This helped them to drive away body odor and insects. Besides, volatile substances in plant are generally good to health.