Hey guys, it's the Double Ninth Festival (aka Chongyang Festival) today, one of the few traditional Chinese festivals where drinking is required. Lol.

Gotta go out to dinner with my entire clan later and drink some chrysanthemum liquor. Cultivation time. Yay! :)

The following is a video and a text introduction of the festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtfLOBVbxDE

The Double Ninth Festival observed on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar, is a traditional Chinese holiday, mentioned in writing since before the East Han period (before AD 25). The day is also known as the Chrysanthemum Festival (菊の節句) in Japan.

According to the I Ching, nine is a yang number; the ninth day of the ninth lunar month (or double nine) has too much yang (a traditional Chinese spiritual concept) and is thus a potentially dangerous date. Hence, the day is also called "Double Yang Festival" (重陽節). To protect against danger, it is customary to climb a high mountain, drink chrysanthemum liquor, and wear the zhuyu (茱萸) plant, Cornus officinalis. (Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are considered to have cleansing qualities and are used on other occasions to air out houses and cure illnesses.)

On this holiday some Chinese also visit the graves of their ancestors to pay their respects. Whole extended families head to ancestral graves to clean them and repaint inscriptions, and to lay out food offerings such as roast suckling pig and fruit, which are then eaten (after the spirits have consumed the spiritual element of the food). Chongyang Cake is also popular. Incense sticks are burned. Cemeteries get crowded.

Today, the festival is also celebrated as the Seniors' Day. On the day, many activities are held to show respect to the seniors such as organizing trips for them, sending them gifts, or simply spending time with them.