The festival is based on the theory of Yin and Yang,the two opposing principles in nature.Yin is feminine,negative principle,while Yang is masculine and positive.The ancients believed that all natural phenomena could be explained by this theory.Numbers are related to this theory.Even numbers belong to Yin and odd numbers to Yang.The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is a day when the two Yang numbers meet.So it is called Chongyang.Chong means double in Chinese.Chongyang has been an important festival since ancient times.
There are a variety of activities in the celebration of the Double Ninth Festival:Climbing,wearing cornel leaves,appreciating chrysanthemum,drinking chrysanthemum wine and eating Double Ninth cakes.
The festival is held in the golden season of autumn,at harvesttime.The bright clear weather and the joy of bringing in the harvest make for a festive happy atmosphere.The Double Ninth Festival is usually perfect for outdoor activities.Many people go hiking and climbing in the country,enjoying Mother Natures final burst of color before she puts on her dull winter cloak.Some will carry a spray of dogwood.The dogwood is a plant with a strong fragrance,and is often used as a Chinese herbal medicine.People in ancient times believed it could drive away evil spirits and prevent one from getting a chill in late autumn.So its history as a medicine goes back many centuries.But the custom of carrying a spray of dogwood during the Double Ninth Festival is slowly dying out and many people,especially young people in the cities,do not even know what a dogwood spray looks like.Even though the tradition of carrying a few spray of dogwood dies out,that of climbing mountains is reaching new heights.
Appreciating chrysanthemum was another important activity of the festival.The golden colors of autumn coincide with the chrysanthemum is full bloom.While you enjoy the beauty of nature,you feel you are full of life.
People in the past drank chrysanthemum wine,cornel wine and ate Double Ninth cakes when they celebrated the festival.They believed wines soaked with cornel and chrysanthemums were good to health,capable of curing illnesses resulting from eczema and internal heat.
Double Ninth cake is a mixture of medical herbs,glutinous rice and millet stirred up with honey and then steamed.Some cakes are like a cone piled up in layers with various dry fruits inserted in between and put on top,like chestnut,dates,and hawthorn or lotus seeds.Other cakes are made of sugar and chrysanthemum and then steamed.Some have diced meat with a small flag on top and they make a good gift for friends.Ancient people believed that Double Ninth cakes were a healthy food and helped you live a longer life.