Why do we eat Chongyang Cake on the Double Ninth Festival? The meaning and legend of eating Chongyang Cake

Why do we eat Chongyang Cake on Double Ninth Festival? During the Double Ninth Festival, we not only climb high places and plant dogwood branches, but also eat Double Ninth Cake. Next, let’s take a look at the meaning of eating Chongyang cake on the Double Ninth Festival.

Why do we eat Chongyang Cake on Double Ninth Festival?

The main source of Chongyang Cake

It is said that eating Chongyang cake on the Double Ninth Festival originated from climbing high places. The ancients believed that during the Double Ninth Festival, the weather gets colder and the earth's air rises, the two energies of heaven and earth intersect, and unhealthy air permeates. In order to avoid contact with unhealthy energy, one must climb high mountains to avoid the evil energy of the Double Ninth Festival. Those who cannot or do not want to climb high places on the Double Ninth Festival just eat cakes at home. The word "gao" is homophonic with "gao", which means "progress step by step" and "everything goes well".

Four ways to say Chongyang Cake

There are probably four theories as to why it is popular to eat "Chongyang Cake" on the Double Ninth Festival: one is to ward off evil and avoid disasters. Xie Zhaozhi of the Ming Dynasty recorded in "Wuzazu": "At dawn on the ninth day of the ninth month, place a piece of cake on the forehead of your children to welcome good fortune and ward off disasters and evil spirits"; second, it means "climbing high", and "eating cake" is used instead of "climbing high"; third, it is a act of respecting the elderly. There is a popular saying in Jiangnan: "If you don't eat cake on Double Ninth Festival, you will tell people about it when you are old"; fourth, it means blessing, "Eat cake on Double Ninth Festival, and everything will be fine."

The legend of eating Chongyang cake on Double Ninth Festival

Legend has it that Kang Hai, the top scholar in the Ming Dynasty, was from Wugong, Shaanxi. After he took part in the provincial examination in mid-August, he fell ill in Chang'an. After the imperial edict was issued in August to announce the results, a messenger rushed to Wugong to deliver the good news, but Kang Hai had not yet returned home. Since no one at home gave him any reward, the messenger refused to leave and insisted on waiting until Kang Hai came back. When Kang Hai recovered from his illness and returned home, it was already the Double Ninth Festival. Only then did he send the messenger away, gave him a reward, and steamed a pot of cakes for him as dry food for his return journey. I steamed some more cakes and distributed them to my neighbors. Because this cake was used to celebrate Kang Hai's success in becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination, families with children in school would later steam and distribute the cake on the Double Ninth Festival to seek a good omen. The custom of eating cakes on the Double Ninth Festival spread like this.