重阳节，又称重九节、晒秋节、“踏秋”，是中国的传统节日之一。重阳节的庆祝活动多彩浪漫，一般包括出游赏秋、登高远眺、观赏菊花、遍插茱萸、吃重阳糕、饮菊花酒等。重阳节的时间为每年农历九月初九日，它与除夕、清明节、中元节三节统称中国传统四大祭祖节日。重阳节早在战国时期就已经形成，到了唐代被正式定为民间的节日，此后历朝历代沿袭至今。重阳与三月初三日“踏春”皆是家族倾室而出，在这天所有亲人都要一起登高“避灾”。

Chongyang, also known as Double Ninth/Shaiqiu/Taqiu Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival. There are many forms of celebration, including outing, climbing, appreciating chrysanthemum, wearing a zhuyu (i.e. cornus officinalis) wreath, eating Chongyang cake and drinking chrysanthemum wine. Observed on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, it is one of the four Chinese festivals to worship ancestors, along with Chinese New Year’s Eve, Qingming Festival and Zhongyuan Festival. Chongyang dated back to the Warring States Period, was made official in Tang Dynasty and has been passed on since then. Like Tachun (i.e. spring outing) Festival on the third day of the third lunar month, the whole family goes climbing to avoid bad luck.

今天的重阳节，被赋予了新的含义，在1989年，我国把每年的九月九日定为老人节，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。2006年5月20日，重阳节被国务院列入首批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。

Chongyang has new significance nowadays. It has become Senior’s Day since 1989. Combining traditional and modern ideas, this holiday encourages people to respect, care for and help seniors. On 20^th May 2006, China’s State Council incorporated Chongyang into the first list of state-level intangible cultural heritage items.

历史起源

Origin

重阳节已有两千多年的历史。重阳节的起源，最早可以推到春秋战国时期。战国时代，重阳已受到人们重视，但只是在帝宫中进行的活动。到了汉代，过重阳节的习俗渐渐流行。相传汉高祖刘邦的妃子戚夫人遭到吕后的谋害，其身前一位侍女贾氏被逐出宫，嫁与贫民为妻。贾氏便把重阳的活动带到了民间。贾氏对人说：在皇宫中，每年九月初九，都要佩茱萸、食篷饵、饮菊花酒，以求长寿。从此重阳的风俗便在民间传开了。“重阳节”名称见于记载却在三国时代。魏晋时期有了赏菊、饮酒的习俗。唐朝时，重阳节才被定为正式节日。从此以后，宫廷、民间一起庆祝重阳节，并且在节日期间进行各种各样的活动。宋代的重阳节更为热闹，《东京梦华录》曾记载了北宋时重阳节的盛况。明朝时期，皇宫中宦官宫妃从初一时就开始一起吃花糕庆祝，到了九日重阳，皇帝还要亲自到万岁山登高览胜，以畅秋志。直到清代，明代的风俗依旧盛行。

Chongyang Festival dated back 2000 years ago during the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States period. In the Warring States period, it gained much attention but was only celebrated in court. In Han Dynasty, it gradually became popular. It is said that Lady Qi, who was a concubine of Emperor Gaozu of Han, was persecuted by Empress Lü. Qi’s maid Jia was chased out of court and married a poor man. Jia brought the court festivities to commoners. She told people that every Chongyang festival, court people wore Zhuyu plant, eat Chongyang cake and drink chrysanthemum wine, in the hope of longevity. Since then these festivities have become folk traditions. Chongyang was first recorded in the Three Kingdoms period. In Wei and Jin Dyansties, appreciating chrysanthemum and drinking wine became a custom. It was not until Tang Dynasty that Chongyang was made an official festival. Since then, both the court and the folk have started to organize a variety of activities to celebrate this festival. This festival became livelier in Song Dynasty, which was recorded in The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendor. In mid-Ming Dynasty, eunuchs and emperor’s concubines celebrated it by eating Chongyang cake on the first day of the ninth lunar month. On the day of Chongyang, the emperor climbed Jingshan(i.e. the long-life hill) for an overview. These customs were still popular in Qing Dynasty.

发展

Development

华夏大地，历来为礼仪之邦。九九重阳，作为传承中华传统文化的一个重要节点，更兼具礼仪修养之长。“百善孝为先”，孝敬父母是中华民族的传统美德，也是各种品德形成的前提；让老人能老有所依、老有所用、老有所得，是我们应该肩负的一项基本社会责任。家庭是社会最基本的单位，在很大程度上，正是用“孝”联结着个人和社会，并以此作为社会道德教化、文化历史传承、个人观念培养的重要载体。

China has long been known for its etiquettes. Chongyang is not only an important symbol of traditional Chinese customs and culture, but also a channel for cultivating etiquettes and moral characters. As an old Chinese saying goes, filial piety is the first among of all virtues. Giving seniors a sense of belonging, purpose and fulfillment should be a basic social responsibility we must take. As the most basic unit of society, family connects individuals and society by the virtue of filial piety. Besides, family is an important carrier for moral education, cultural and historic inheritance, as well as individual’s outlook cultivation.

20世纪80年代起，中国一些地方把夏历九月初九日定为老人节，倡导全社会树立尊老、敬老、爱老、助老的风气。1989年，中国政府将农历九月初九定为“老人节”、“敬老节”。2012年12月28日，中国全国人大常委会表决通过新修改的《老年人权益保障法》。法律明确，每年农历九月初九为老年节。

Since the 1980s, some places in China have made it Senior’s Day that advocated respecting, caring for and helping the seniors. Senior’s Day was recognized by the Chinese government in 1989. On 28^th December 2012, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted the revised version of Law of the People's Republic of China on Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly, which made Chongyang the Senior’s Day.

民间传说

Folktale

相传在东汉时期，汝河有个瘟魔，只要它一出现，家家就有人病倒，天天有人丧命，这一带的百姓受尽了瘟魔的蹂躏。一场瘟疫夺走了青年桓景的父母，他自己也因病差点毕命。病愈之后，他辞别了心爱的妻子和父老乡亲，决心出去访仙学艺，为民除掉瘟魔。桓景四处访师寻道，访遍各地的名山高士，终于打听到在东方有一座最古老的山，山上有一个法力无边的仙长，桓景不畏艰险和路途的遥远，在仙鹤指引下，终于找到了那座高山，找到了那个有着神奇法力的仙长，仙长为他的精神所感动，终于收留了桓景，并且教给他降妖剑术，还赠他一把降妖宝剑。桓景废寝忘食苦练，终于练出了一身非凡的武艺。

In Eastern Han Dynasty, it is said, a plague monster lived in the Ruhe River. Whenever it appeared, there were always people getting sick in each family, or people dying each day. People living in this area suffered much from its brutality. A plague took the lives of Huan Jing’s parents, even Huan Jing almost died. When he recovered, he said farewell to his beloved wife and countrymen and started to look for masters and learn the skills to kill the monster. He visited many places, and finally learnt that in the most ancient mountain in the east, there lived an omnipotent master. After a long and arduous journey and with the help of a crane, he found the master. Impressed by his resilience, the master took Huan Jing as disciple, gave him a sword and taught him fencing skills to subdue the monster. Huan Jing worked extremely hard and eventually mastered extraordinary skills.

这一天仙长把桓景叫到跟前，让他在九月初九回家去，以降妖除魔，并送给他一包茱萸叶，一盅菊花酒，并且密授辟邪用法，让他骑着仙鹤离去。桓景回到家乡，在九月初九的早晨，按仙长的叮嘱把乡亲们领到了附近的一座山上，发给每人一片茱萸叶，一盅菊花酒，做好了降魔的准备。中午时分，随着几声怪叫，瘟魔冲出汝河，但是瘟魔刚扑到山下，突然闻到阵阵茱萸奇香和菊花酒气，便戛然止步，脸色突变，这时桓景手持降妖宝剑追下山来，几个回合就把瘟魔刺死剑下，从此九月初九登高避疫的风俗年复一年地流传下来。

One day the master asked Huan Jing to go home before the ninth day of the ninth lunar month to subdue the monster. He gave Huan Jing a bag of zhuyu leaves and a cup of chrysanthemum wine, taught to him how to use them to keep away evil spirits and let him ride a crane to go home. When Huan Jing arrived, as required by the master, he took the countrymen to a nearby mountain on the morning of the ninth day of the lunar month, gave each one a zhuyu leaf, a cup of chrysanthemum wine and prepared everything to fight the monster. At noon time, the monster stormed out of the river with strange cries and ran to the mountain foot, but it suddenly stopped and its face turned pale when it smelt the scent of zhuyu and chrysanthemum wine. Huan Jing chased down with his sword and quickly slew the monster. Since then, climbing has become a tradition on the Double Ninth to fend off plague.

后来人们就把重阳节登高的风俗看作是免灾避祸的活动。

Later, climbing became a custom in Chongyang to avoid misfortune.

节日习俗

Customs

登高

Climbing

在古代，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很多，大多是写重阳节的习俗；杜甫的七律《登高》，就是写重阳登高的名篇。登高所到之处，没有划一的规定，一般是登高山、登高塔。

In ancient China, climbing was a tradition in Chongyang. Therefore, Chongyang Festival is also called Climbing Festival. It is said that this custom stemmed from Eastern Han Dynasty. Poets in Tang Dynasty wrote many poems on climbing, most of which took place in Chongyang. One famous poem was Climbing High, authored by Du Fu. There was no standard requirement for where to climb, but usually it referred to climbing mountains and towers.

吃重阳糕

Eating Chongyang Cake

据史料记载，重阳糕又称花糕、菊糕、五色糕，制无定法，较为随意。九月九日天明时，以片糕搭儿女头额，口中念念有词，祝愿子女百事俱高，乃古人九月作糕的本意。讲究的重阳糕要作成九层，像座宝塔，上面还作成两只小羊，以符合重阳（羊）之义。有的还在重阳糕上插一小红纸旗，并点蜡烛灯。这大概是用“点灯”、“吃糕”代替“登高”的意思，用小红纸旗代替茱萸。当今的重阳糕，仍无固定品种，各地在重阳节吃的松软糕类都称之为重阳糕。

According to history archives, Chongyang cake is also called flower cake, chrysanthemum cake or five-color cake. There was no fixed recipe for the cake. At the dawn of Chongyang, parents put cake slices on children’s forehead and pray for good luck. The word for “cake” (糕) in Chinese sounds the same as “height” (高) , that’s why people made the cake. Some cakes were exquisitely divided into nine layers, like a pagoda. On the top were two sheep, because the phrase for “two sheep” in Chinese sounds the same as Chongyang. Some cakes had a red little paper flag and candle light on their top. Probably it was because people replaced climbing with lighting the candle and eating the cake, zhuyu with red little paper flag. Nowadays, there is no rigorous definition of Chongyang cake; all soft and puffy cakes eaten in Chongyang in different places are regarded as Chongyang cakes.

赏菊并饮菊花酒

Appreciating Chrysanthemum and Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine

重阳节正是一年的金秋时节，菊花盛开，据传赏菊及饮菊花酒，起源于晋朝大诗人陶渊明。陶渊明以隐居出名，以诗出名，以酒出名，也以爱菊出名；后人效之，遂有重阳赏菊之俗。旧时文人士大夫，还将赏菊与宴饮结合，以求和陶渊明更接近。北宋京师开封，重阳赏菊之风盛行，当时的菊花就有很多品种，千姿百态。民间还把农历九月称为“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重要内容。清代以后，赏菊之习尤为昌盛，且不限于九月九日，但仍然是重阳节前后最为繁盛。

Chongyang takes place in the golden autumn, when chrysanthemum blossoms. It is said that the customs of appreciating chrysanthemum and drinking chrysanthemum wine were initiated by Tao Yuanming, a famous poet in Jin Dynasty. Tao was known for his reclusive life, his poems, his passion for wine and chrysanthemum. Posterities followed him and thus appreciating chrysanthemum became a custom in Chongyang. Scholars and officials in ancient times included chrysanthemum appreciation into banquet, so as to have more in common with Tao. In Kaifeng, capital of Northern Song Dynasty, chrysanthemum appreciation prevailed. Many different species of chrysanthemum were planted. September was also called “Chrysanthemum Month”, and chrysanthemum appreciation was a highlight in Chongyang. Since Qing Dynasty, this custom has been in vogue and was practiced beyond the Festival. Yet it was still the most popular around Chongyang.

插茱萸和簪菊花

Wearing Zhuyu and Chrysanthemum

重阳节插茱萸的风俗，在唐代就已经很普遍。古人认为在重阳节这一天插茱萸可以避难消灾；或佩带于臂，或作香袋把茱萸放在里面佩带，还有插在头上的。茱萸大多是妇女、儿童佩带，有些地方，男子也佩带。除了佩带茱萸，人们也有头戴菊花的。唐代就已经如此，历代盛行。清代，北京重阳节的习俗是把菊花枝叶贴在门窗上，“解除凶秽，以招吉祥”，这是头上簪菊的变俗。

Wearing zhuyu in Chongyang has been popular since Tang Dynasty. Ancient Chinese believed this could fend off misfortune. Some tied it around their arm, some put it in sachets and some wore it on the head. Usually it was women and children who wore it, yet in some places men also did. Besides, wearing chrysanthemum on the head has become a popular custom since Tang Dynasty. In Qing Dynasty, the tradition in Beijing was to post chrysanthemum branches and leaves on doors and windows in to dispel bad omens and call for good omen. This was a variation of wearing chrysanthemum on the head.

放纸鹞

Flying Paper Harriers

放纸鹞是惠州过重阳节的主要习俗。纸鹞亦现在的风筝。风筝是五代以后的称谓，五代之前，北方习惯称“纸鸢”，南方则多叫“鹞子”，惠州的“纸鹞”称谓很明显的是保留了五代以前的古老名称，且有“南北混合”的味道。

Flying paper harriers is the main custom in Huizhou. In current terms, paper harriers are called kites. Before the Five Dynasties, kites were called paper eagle in the north and harrier in the south. Paper harrier, called by people in Huizhou, was evidently inherited from the times before Five Dynasties, and combined the names of the north and the south.

重阳节诗词（欢迎试译）

重阳夜集兰陵居与宣上人联句

【唐】李益

蟋蟀催寒服，茱萸滴露房。

酒巡明烛刻，篱菊暗寻芳。

新月和秋露，繁星混夜霜。

登高今夕事，九九是天长。

九日

【明】文森

三载重阳菊，开时不在家。

何期今日酒，忽对故园花。

野旷云连树，天寒雁聚沙。

登临无限意，何处望京华。

奉和九日幸临渭亭登高得枝字

【唐】韦安石

重九开秋节，得一动宸仪。

金风飘菊蕊，玉露泣萸枝。

睿览八紘外，天文七曜披。

临深应在即，居高岂忘危。

重阳日有作

【唐】杜荀鹤

一为重阳上古台，乱时谁见菊花开。

偷撏白发真堪笑，牢锁黄金实可哀。

是个少年皆老去，争知荒冢不荣来。

大家拍手高声唱，日未沈山且莫回。

九日齐山登高

【唐】杜牧

江涵秋影雁初飞，与客携壶上翠微。

尘世难逢开口笑，菊花须插满头归。

但将酩酊酬佳节，不作登临恨落晖。

古往今来只如此，牛山何必独沾衣。

翻译：杨乐