Celebrations of Chong2 Yang2 Festival in China
Welcome to our online Chinese cultural lessons in our Chinese platform. In China, there has been a festival called Chong2 Yang2 (double Yang) festival. This is the exclusive festival of the elderly whose age beyond 60 years old being regarded as the aged people. Now that it is a festival, it also embraces many spending ways. Today, we will introduce them to you from our hanbridge lessons.
The Festival of Ascending Heights
Since antiquity, the Double Yang Festival is customary to climb to high places，referred to as the Festival of Ascending Heights．The origin of climbing to high places bears much importance，especially with regards to the elderly．It takes on the meaning of longevity．Hence people believe that the Festival of Ascending Heights can increase longevity．There are no provisions regarding where to climb，a mountain being the same as a lofty pagoda．
Eating Double Yang Cakes
According to historical records，double yang cakes, also called flower cakes，
chrysanthemum cakes, and five colored cakes，have no particular way to make them，just as one wishes．At dawn on the 9th month on the 9th day, parents place a cake on foreheads of their children，wishing their children one hundred things high，with the original idea derived from the ancients. Exquisite double yang cakes made on the 9th month have nine layers，resembling a pagoda. On the top of the cakes are two rams in accordance with Double Yang (yang also means ram，a symbol of righteousness). In addition，some people place a little red flag and a candle on the top of the cake with the writings: 1ight the candle, “eat the cake”，meaning “ascend to heights”. The flag is a substitute for the dogwood twig.
To learn Chinese cultural festival celebrations can widen your horizon of knowledge. Except for the former two celebrations, it has another special meaning of celebration.
Appreciation for Chrysanthemums，Drinking Chrysanthemum Wine
The Double Yang Festival occurs every year in the golden autumn，as the chrysanthemums are blooming. Following the tradition of the Double Yang Festival，it is customary to show appreciation for chrysanthemums，and drink chrysanthemum wine，originating from the Jin Dynasty poet, Tao Yuan ming. Tao Yuan ming is famous for living in seclusion，his poems，wine，and love for chrysanthemums . Later generations imitated this，thereupon customarily showing admiration for them.
Wearing Dog wood，Placing Chrysanthemums in the Hair
Ancients believed that wearing dogwood deters disaster and calamity. They wore dogwood twigs on their arms, put them in fragrant pouches，or stuck them in their hair，especially women and children．but in some places men did this also．Besides wearing dogwood，in some places it was customary to put chrysanthemums in one’s hair.
It has been many years that Chinese learn to study the culture of Chong2 Yang2 festival for the sake of traditional virtue of reverence for the aged. We hope that this tradition can be accepted by foreigners worldwide.