Elders’   Day

Chinese Elders’ Day is celebrated on the ninth day of Lunar ninth month known as double nine-feast day.

The Elders’ Day is known as Zhong Yang Festival or practically expressing as Kite Flying Day or Climbing High Day.

The Elders’ Day 長 老 日

It is a special day to celebrate the aged of our community. On this day they are remembered and feted with honour and respect due to their age and are acknowledged as a source of strength and blessing. In the Chinese culture, longevity is one of the sign of greatest blessing possible.

Zhong Yang Festival 重 陽 節

The word zhong can mean repeat and yang means the male or positive energy. According to Ching , odd numbers are considered positive or male and number 9 is the greatest single digit number and as this number is repeated so it is called double 9 or repeat 9.

Kite Flying Day 放 / 飛 風 箏 日

Kite is an object that attain height, thus the kite flying on this day remind one and all the height that are achieved by our elders both in years and experiences. This is not reachable to so many human beings. They’re the fortunate ones that are bestowed on us, and we are blessed because of them and are acknowledged by one and all.

Climbing High Day 登高 日

On this day specially old people go and climb to higher place or highest place in the locality. There they will be in an enjoyment of purity both in the air they breathe and the state of peace without much noise pollution in their daily dwelling place.

The essentials of the festival

* drinking of chrysanthemum Tea or wine;

* eating of the Zhong Yang cake

* given time to enjoy the peaceful, friendly and leisure atmosphere, in order that the respect and honour; leisure and joy is ensured with the good wishes of good health and long life is bestowed.

As the saying goes ...

Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasant thing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator.

相信我，老年是一件好和令人愉快事情。

真實的是你被溫柔地扛著離舞台，然而給你那象觀眾樣的舒適的正廳前座。