Dads have Father's Day. Moms have Mother's Day. Kids have Children's Day. But, do our grandparents have a special holiday? Yes, they do!
The Double Ninth Festival is a special day for elderly people in China. The festival is on the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar. As the Chinese word for nine has the same sound as the word for
"久"，people take the Double Ninth Festival to show their wishes of long life for elderly people.
There are many traditions for this festival. On that day, families get together and climb mountains and in the hope that elderly people will live much longer. They also drink chrysanthemum wine(菊花酒) and wear a plant called"zhuyu"to celebrate it. Both chrysanthemum and"zhuyu"are considered as clean plants that can clean houses and treat diseases.
It is a traditional virtue(美德) in China to respect elderly people. Respecting elderly people is shown not only on this special day but also in daily life. For example, when an older person enters a room, everyone stands up. When there are several guests at the table, the host usually introduces them from the oldest to the youngest. When a younger person is presenting something to an older person, two hands are used. On a crowded subway or a bus, younger people always offer their seats to elderly people. Chinese people believe that to respect elderly people is to respect themselves tomorrow.
