Double Sixth Festival
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Double Sixth Festival (Chinese: 六月六) is a Chinese traditional festival, the annual festival takes place on the sixth day of the sixth month of the Chinese calendar.[1] The festival has different names among different areas in China and varies in practices within Chinese ethnic groups. The most recognized official name is Tiankuang Festival (天贶节) announced by Emperor Zhenzong of the Song dynasty, meaning the gift or reward from heaven.[2] The most well-known custom is to bring all outfits, and books out and put them under the sunlight, people believe that doing this would not only prevent things becoming mildewed or damaged by worms but also brings fortune to themselves.[3] The old saying from the Ming dynasty in China classifies this behavior observed in different social classes: "At June 6, scholars will dry their books in sun, women will dry their clothes in sun and farmers will pray for their harvest."[4] The festival has lost some of its significance in China because of changes in social structure and reasons like farming technology improvement.[2]
Double Sixth Festival | |||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 天貺節 | ||||||
Simplified Chinese | 天贶节 | ||||||
Literal meaning | "The reward from heaven" | ||||||
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