本文是说明文,主要介绍了中国传统节日——重阳节的相关情况。
The Chongyang Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month and is also called the Double Ninth Festival. As both the month and the day are nine, it got this name. To celebrate the day, people usually climb mountains and enjoy chrysanthemum (菊花), so the festival is also known as the Height Ascending (登高)Festival or the Chrysanthemum Festival. In China, nine has the similar pronunciation with the word “forever”,meaning long life. So in 1989, the Chinese government set the day as the Seniors’Day.
The festival has a history of over 2,000 years. During the Warring States Period, there was the Chongyang Festival. From the Han Dynasty, it began to be popular among the common people. The name of the Chongyang Festival first appeared in the Three Kingdoms Period. During the Jin Dynasty, there were customs of enjoying chrysanthemum and drinking wines on the day. It was not officially set as a festival until the Tang Dynasty. Since then, all the people have spent the festival with kinds of activities. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, people in the imperial palace all ate flower cakes to celebrate. The emperor climbed the mountain on the day as well.
As September has the clear sky and fresh air, it is a very good time to climb the mountain. There will be a happy sense of excitement by climbing the mountain in this season. Also, it is good for health. Since the Western Han Dynasty, it has been the custom of climbing on the Chongyang Festival.
On the day, enjoying chrysanthemum is very popular as the flower means long life. Drinking chrysanthemum is regarded as a way to prevent disasters and bad things. Inserting Zhuyu and sticking chrysanthemum are also traditions to avoid the bad as they have special smells which can repel (驱逐)insects and keep out the cold.
Eating Chongyang cakes is another tradition on the festival. There is no fixed way of the cake but the one with nine layers (层)with two sheep on it is the best. Two sheep means Chongyang. Nine layers show people could do well in everything.
重阳节是农历九月初九,也叫“重九节”。因为月份和日期都是九,所以得此名。为了庆祝这个节日,人们通常去爬山,品赏菊花,所以这个节日也被称为“登高节”或“菊花节”。在中国,九的发音与“久”相似,意思是长寿。因此在1989年,中国政府把这一天定为“老人节”。
重阳节已有2000多年的历史。战国时期就已有重阳节。从汉代开始,它在大众中流行起来。重阳节的名称首次出现在三国时期。晋代时期,人们就有品赏菊花和饮酒的习俗。直到唐朝它才被正式定为节日。从那时起,人们就通过举行各种各样的活动共度这个节日。在明清时期,皇城里的人们都吃花糕来庆祝。皇帝在当天也爬山。
九月有着明净的天空和新鲜的空气,是爬山的好时机。在这个季节爬山会有一种快乐的兴奋感。此外,它有利于健康。自西汉以来,在重阳节这天一直有登山的习俗。
在这一天,品赏菊花很受欢迎,因为菊花意味着长寿。饮菊花酒被认为是防止灾难和坏事的一种方式。插茱萸和菊花也是一种传统的避邪方法,因为它们具有特殊的气味,能驱除昆虫并御寒。
吃重阳糕是节日的另一种传统。糕点没有固定的模式,但嵌有两只羊的九层糕是最好的。两只羊代表重阳,九层代表人们可以做好任何一件事。
celebrate vt. 庆祝
custom n. 习俗
officially adv. 正式地,官方地
tradition n. 传统
It was not officially set as a festival until the Tang Dynasty.
直到唐朝它才被正式定为节日。
Drinking chrysanthemum is regarded as a way to prevent disasters and bad things.
饮菊花酒被认为是防止灾难和坏事的一种方式。