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Next: 18 Oct 2026

Double Ninth Festival

Climbing a hill, drinking chrysanthemum tea and honouring the elderly on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.

Double Ninth Festival: Chai Wan Cemetery Hong Kong Double Ninth Festival
Photo: Sgerbic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When is Double Ninth Festival in 2026?

Double Ninth Festival 2026 is on Sunday, 18 October 2026. Other years: 2027, Friday, 8 October 2027; 2028, Thursday, 26 October 2028.

About Double Ninth Festival

Chongyang, the Double Ninth, falls on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. In Chinese numerology nine is the yang number, and the doubling was thought a dangerous, over-strong date. Several customs developed to protect against harm: climbing a hill or a tower, wearing sprigs of dogwood, and drinking chrysanthemum wine or tea. Poems of friends climbing a mountain together are classical themes. In modern China the day is also Seniors' Day, when people are encouraged to visit and take care of the older members of their families, and local governments organise events for the elderly. A sweet cake of rice flour and dates, chongyang gao, is eaten, and its name is a pun on the word for height.

Double Ninth Festival dates: 2026, 2027, 2028

YearDouble Ninth Festival date
2026Sunday, 18 October 2026
2027Friday, 8 October 2027
2028Thursday, 26 October 2028

What is eaten

  • chongyang gao
  • chrysanthemum tea

Also part of it, and being written: Chrysanthemum tea (The drink of the season.), Chongyang cake (The festival cake.), Yang (The principle behind the date.).

More marked on Double Ninth Festival

🇨🇳 China and 5 moreDouble Ninth Festival重陽節 An autumn festival of mountain walks, chrysanthemum wine and ancestor remembranceSeasonal · Tea-time and snacking customs 🇨🇳 Meizhou Island, China and 5 moreMazu媽祖 A sea goddess of the Chinese coast, asked for calm water and a safe returnSpiritual
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Background: "Double Ninth Festival" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

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