重阳节
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. Thats why ancient Chinese began to celebrate this festival long time ago.
阴历9月9日，为传统的重阳节。由于古老的《易经》中把六定为阴数，把九定为阳数，9月9日，日月并阳，两九相重，故而叫重阳，也叫重九，古人觉得是个值得庆贺的吉利日子，并且从非常早就开始过此节日。
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.
在古时候，民间在重阳有登高的风俗，故重阳节又叫登高节。相传此风俗始于东汉。唐代文人所写的登高诗不少，大多是写重阳节的风俗;杜甫的七律《登高》，就是写重阳登高的名篇。登高所到之处，没划一的规定，通常是登高山、登高塔。
On this day, people will eat Double Ninth Gao . In Chinese, gao has the same pronunciation with gao . 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.
在这一天，大家还有吃重阳糕的风俗。在汉语里，糕与高同音，，大家会用吃糕代替登高，祝愿百事俱高。重阳糕又称花糕、菊糕、五色糕，制无定法，较为随便。最高的有九层，像一个塔。
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.
重阳节正是一年的金秋时节，菊花盛开，民间还把阴历9月称为菊月，在菊花傲霜怒放的重阳节里，观赏菊花成了节日的一项要紧内容，当然，大家也会喝一些菊花酒。女性会把茱萸插在头上或挂在门口，可以避难消灾。
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 generations will bring elder ones to suburban areas or send gifts to them on this day.
今天的重阳节，被赋予了新的意思，在1989年，国内把每年的9月9日定为老人节，传统与现代巧妙地结合，成为尊老、敬老、爱老、助老的老年人的节日。全国各机关、团体、街道，总是都在此时组织从工作岗位上退下来的老大家秋游赏景，或临水玩乐，或登山健体，让身心都沐浴在大自然的怀抱里;不少家庭的晚辈也会搀扶着年老的长辈到郊外活动或为老人筹备一些可口的饮食。
