Double Ninth Festival 重阳节

Climbing, drinking chrysanthemum wine and wearing cornel are common practices during Cold Dew as it often coincides with the Double Ninth Festival which falls on the ninth day of the ninth month on the lunar calendar.

登山、喝菊花酒和戴茱萸是寒露期间常见的习俗，因为寒露时节恰逢农历九月初九的重阳节。

There is a story behind this tradition. Legends have it that a brave man named Huan Jing lived in East Han Dynasty. People living around Ruhe River were often targeted by a plague monster living in the river. Many people died including Huan's parents.

这个传统习俗的背后有一个故事。传说东汉时期，有一位名叫桓景的勇士。生活在汝河附近的人们经常被河里的瘟魔骚扰，很多人因它丧命，桓景的父母也被夺走了生命。

The young Huang left home determined to learn skills that could kill the monster. He traveled around the country and was guided by a crane to reach a mountain, which was home to an immortal.

年少的桓景离开故乡决心访仙学道，为民除害。他访遍全国各地，最后跟着一只仙鹤来到一座山里，这座山住着一位仙人。

After Huan mastered the skills, the immortal gave him a magic sword.

桓景学成后，仙人赠给他一把神剑。

"It will be the ninth day of the ninth month tomorrow, when the plague monster reappears. You are now ready to rid the evil and save the people," the immortal told him and gave him a pack of cornel leaves and a bottle of chrysanthemum wine.

“明天就是九月初九，瘟魔又要现身了，你现在已经做好除恶救人的准备了。”仙人对桓景说，并给了他一包茱萸叶和一瓶菊花酒。

Back in his village, Huan led the people to the top of a nearby mountain on the morning of the ninth day. He gave each of them a piece of cornel leaf to prevent the monster from coming closer and asked them to drink some chrysanthemum wine to avoid being infected by the plague.

桓景回到村子里，在初九的清晨带领乡亲们登上附近的山顶。他给每人一片茱萸叶，以防怪物靠近，然后让乡亲们喝下菊花酒，避免被瘟疫感染。

Huan killed the monster at the foot of the mountain with his magic sword.

桓景在山脚用神剑杀死了瘟魔。

Since then, people climb mountains or anything high as a ritual during the festival. Many people have also kept alive the tradition of drinking chrysanthemum wine. Mountain-climbing races are a popular activity on the day, also called Chongyang Festival, with winners garlanded with cornel.

从那时起，在重阳节爬山登高成了一种仪式。许多人还保留了喝菊花酒的传统。这一天，爬山比赛非常受欢迎，比赛获胜者会佩戴茱萸。

编辑:Liuxuepaper.Com

作文地带知识拓展:

• 重阳节Double Ninth Festival，是中国民间传统节日，日期在每年农历九月初九。“九”数在《易经》中为阳数，“九九”两阳数相重，故曰“重阳”；因日与月皆逢九，故又称为“重九”。九九归真，一元肇始，古人认为九九重阳是吉祥的日子。古时民间在重阳节有登高祈福、拜神祭祖及饮宴祈寿等习俗。传承至今，又添加了敬老等内涵。登高赏秋与感恩敬老是当今重阳节日活动的两大重要主题。

  重阳”之名称由来，得名于古籍《易经》中的“阳爻为九”。在《易经》中，把“六”定为阴数，把“九”定为阳数，又为“极数”，指天之高为“九重”。“九”为老阳，是阳极数，两个阳极数重在一起，九九归一，一元肇始，万象更新。因此古人认为重阳是一个值得庆贺的吉祥日子。在古代有饮宴祈寿之俗。九月初九，日与月皆逢九，是谓“两九相重”，故曰“重九”，同时又是两个阳数合在一起，故谓之“重阳”。明代张岱著《夜航船》云：“九为阳数，其日与月并应，故曰‘重阳’。