农历九月初九是中国传统节日——重阳节。在古代中国，九是一个很吉利的数字，被称为阳数。九月九日，两个九相重合，因此得名重阳节。

The Double Ninth Festival, another traditional festival of China, falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. In ancient China, the figure nine, known as a yang number, has an auspicious meaning. The Double Ninth Festival was derived from the coincidence of two figure nines on that day.

　   重阳节最流行的活动是登高。人们在秋高气爽的日子里，登上山顶，尽情地享受大自然的美景。与登高有关的另一个风俗是吃重阳糕。因为“糕”与“高”同音，人们就用吃重阳糕来代替登高。中国人在每个传统节日都有相应的食物，重阳节也不例外。

One of the traditional activities of the occasion is mountain climbing. On such an autumn day when the sky is high and the air is brisk, people stand on top of a mountain, feasting their eyes on the surrounding beauty of nature. Another custom of the festival relative to mountain climbing is eating Double Ninth cakes. Because in Chinese “cake” and “high” are homophones, people would eat cakes to symbolize scaling heights. As every Chinese traditional festival has its corresponding food, the Double Ninth Festival is no exception.

　   重阳节期间，人们还喜欢赏菊花。中国人认为，在秋风中开放的菊花有高洁的品质，所以常常用菊花来比喻那些品质高尚的人，也留下许多与菊花有关的诗词，比如东晋诗人陶渊明的“采菊东篱下，悠然见南山”。同时，菊花还是一种预防疾病的中草药，喝菊花酒也就成为这个节日的风俗之一。

The festival is also an occasion for people to appreciate blossoming chrysanthemums. In the mind of Chinese, chrysanthemums blooming in a gentle autumn breeze is a token of noble qualities. As a result, the chrysanthemum has often been used to describe men of integrity and led to the creation of numerous related poems. For example, Tao Yuanming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty wrote: “I pluck chrysanthemums under the eastern hedge, then gaze long at the distant southern hills.” As chrysanthemum is also a medicinal herb for prevention of some diseases, drinking the wine brewed with this flower has become the vogue of this day.

　   1989年，中国把农历九月九日定为“老人节”。重阳节这个传统节日，又增加了尊老、爱老的新风俗。

In 1989, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month was designated as the Day for the Aged, thus giving impetus to the prevailing custom of showing love and respect to the elderly.