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| The Chinese Festivals |
Mid Autumn Festival
�� This festival is held on the fifteenth day of the Eight Moon and its popularity and participation for the young is second to the New Year Festival.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), Chinese leaders took up the practice of watching the moon. This day is set aside just for this purpose. People travel to high places to make sure they have a good view of the moon. Traditionally, children carried lanterns of animal shapes lit by candles.
Now, the lanterns are found in every shape and material imaginable. Dogs, cats, airplanes, yachts, speedboats, pictures of gods, sharks and assorted fish lanterns are sold at very reasonable prices at the Chinese Emporium, all Chinese department stores and in market stalls.
As darkness approaches, the hills of Hong Kong, Victoria Park, the Peak, and the beaches are shimmering with the glow of lantern lights. It seems as though a sprinkling of stars have descended on Hong Kong. This night is an event no one under the age of 100 should miss. It is an evening for children of all ages.
�� "Mooncakes" are also an important part of the festivities. Many years ago in the 14th Century, a revolt against the Mongols developed, and messages of the revolution were written on paper, then baked into the cakes. The secret messages were smuggled to the revolutionists. Things are much tamer now, and the mooncakes are given to friends and relatives during the festival. These pastries are a mixture of ground lotus,mashed beans, sesame seeds and dates.
Lantern festival is a magic time for the young as they carry their lamps lighting the way for adults to pay their respects to the moon. It is a Chinese festival in which children of all nationalities take part.
Double Ninth Festival
�� The 9th day of the 9th lunar month is the traditional Chongyang Festival, or Double Ninth Festival. It usually falls in October in the Gregorian calendar. In an ancient and mysterious book Yi Jing, or The Book of Changes, number "6" was thought to be of Yin character, meaning feminine or negative, while number "9" was thought to be Yang, meaning masculine or positive. So the number nine in both month and day create the Double Ninth Festival, or Chongyang Festival. Chong in Chinese means "double." Also, as double ninth was pronounced the same as the word to signify "forever", both are "Jiu Jiu," the Chinese ancestors considered it an auspicious day worth celebration. That's why ancient Chinese began to celebrate this festival long time ago.
The custom of ascending a height to avoid epidemics was passed down from long time ago. Therefore, the Double Ninth Festival is also called "Height Ascending Festival". The height people will reach is usually a mountain or a tower. Ancient literary figures have left many poems depicting the activity. Even today, people still swarm to famous or little known mountains on this day.
On this day, people will eat Double Ninth Gao (or Cake). In Chinese, gao (cake) has the same pronunciation with gao (height). People do so just to hope progress in everything they are engaged in. There is no fixed ways for the Double Ninth Cake, but super cakes will have as many as nine layers, looking like a tower.
The Double Ninth Festival is also a time when chrysanthemum blooms. China boasts diversified species of chrysanthemum and people have loved them since ancient times. So enjoying the flourishing chrysanthemum also becomes a key activity on this festival. Also, people will drink chrysanthemum wine. Women used to stick such a flower into their hair or hang its branches on windows or doors to avoid evilness.
�� In 1989, the Chinese government decided the Double Ninth Festival as Seniors' Day. Since then, all government units, organizations and streets communities will organize an autumn trip each year for those who have retired from their posts. At the waterside or on the mountains, the seniors will find themselves merged into nature. Younger. |
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