Chong Yang Festival?

Question

What's this day about?

Answer 1

Chong Yang Festival?

This web site gives you the legend of how the festival came about:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-01/09/content_297522.htm

The Legend
(please see its entirity on the web site above)

"As recorded in a historical book of the sixth century, in ancient times, there lived a man named Huan Jing. He was learning the magic arts from Fei Changfang, who had become an immortal after many years of practicing Taoism. One day, the two were climbing a mountain.

Fei Changfang suddenly stopped and looked very upset. He told Huan Jing, 'On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, disaster will come to your hometown. You must go home ... to make a red bag for each one of your family members and put a spray of dogwood on every one. Then you must all quickly ...climb to the top of a mountain. Most importantly, you must all drink some chrysanthemum wine. Only by doing so can your family members avoid this disaster.'

On hearing this, Huan Jing rushed home and asked his family to do exactly as his teacher said. The whole family climbed a nearby mountain .... When they got back home, they found all their animals dead.... Later ... Fei Changfang ... said the poultry and livestock died in place of Huan Jing's family, who escaped disaster by following his instructions.

Since then, climbing a mountain, carrying a spray of dogwood and drinking chrysanthemum wine became the traditional activities of the Double Ninth Festival, to avoid evil spirits and misfortunes."

Nine is a mascular number in Chinese philosophy, which always aims for balance. Therefore, the ninth day of the ninth months may be too masculine, too aggressive and requires counteractions of spirtuality, even if as symbolic acts.

The entire story seems to remind us of spiritual qualities we once lived:

The mountain is an ancient symbol of the location of our Spirit Gate (The (W)Hole Book on Mimbres Pots, by Dr. Bara H. Loveland), the dog wood is a flowering plant reminding us of the opening of our Chakras (energy fields). Its fruits are in shape similar to raspberries, which may remind us of our pineal gland, which is connected with sacred energy fields; the arm to which the family tied their red bags, is an ancient symbol of action, red is the color of stimulation or the Root Chakra, the survival Chakra (energy field); chrysanthemum reminds us of the Crown Chakra, another holy energy field, and wine is the substance symbolizing our spiritual medicine, which most of us have long forgotten. Ancient symbols still tell the story (Auf Fluegeln, D. Bara H. Loveland).

Fascinating question about our spiritual origins! Thanks.
Cordially, India.Magica

Answer 2

Sept. 9, a Chinese double masculine festival, when the Chinese climb mountains, which may have some phallic significance, and eat cake, because they're mysterious, I guess.