重阳节

重阳节

重阳节是中国传统节日，相传起源于河南省上蔡县，节期在农历九月初九。“九”在《易经》中为阳数（奇数），“九九”为两阳数相重，故曰“重阳”。古人认为，九九重阳是吉祥的日子。

据现存史料考证，重阳节源自天象崇拜，起始于上古，普及于西汉，鼎盛于唐朝以后。上古时代人们在秋季举行丰收祭天、祭祖活动，以谢天帝、祖先恩德，这是重阳节的原始形式。在历史发展演变中，重阳节融合多种民俗为一体，承载了更为丰富的文化内涵。传承至今，又添加了敬老等内涵。中国将每年农历九月初九定为敬老日，使这一传统佳节成为尊老、敬老、爱老、助老的新式节日。

九九重阳凝聚了中华民族“老吾老”的浓浓深情和生生不息的民族风范，以富有生命意蕴的节庆活动世代流传，设宴敬老、饮宴祈寿主题逐渐和中国传统孝道伦理相融合，成为当今重阳节节庆活动的重要主题。2006年5月，重阳节被列入首批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。

Chongyang Festival

The Chongyang Festival is a traditional Chinese festival allegedly originating in Shangcai County of Henan Province. It falls on the ninth day of the ninth month in the lunar calendar, so it is also known as the Double Ninth Festival, a date that the ancient people held to be auspicious. According to historical materials, the Chongyang

Festival had its initial form in the ceremonies held in autumn to worship heaven and the ancestors in gratitude for the harvest. It prevailed in the Western Han Dynasty and reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty. As time goes by, the festival has absorbed various folk customs and assumed richer cultural significance, including the more recently added respecting and caring for the elderly as China in 1989 designated this traditional festival the Senior Citizens Day.

The Chongyang Festival embodies the Chinese nation's virtue of loving the seniors. In modern times, its celebrations are usually themed on health and longevity mixed with the traditional ethics of filial piety. In May 2006, the festival was among the first inscribed on the list of national intangible cultural heritage.