Today, September 9th, is the “Chōyō no Sekku” in Japan. It is one of Japan’s five seasonal festivals, also known as the “Chrysanthemum Festival.” On this day, people decorate with chrysanthemum flowers and enjoy sake with chrysanthemum petals, praying for long life and good health. However, it’s a bit strange because the peak season for chrysanthemums is a little later in October. This discrepancy is due to the mix of the lunar and solar calendars in Japan’s calendar system. “Chōyō no Sekku” is an event on the old lunar calendar on the 9th of September, which corresponds to around October 10th on the current solar calendar.
The five seasonal festivals are Jinjitsu on January 7th, Hinamatsuri on March 3rd, Tango no Sekku on May 5th, Tanabata on July 7th, and Chōyō on September 9th.
Currently, festivals related to children, such as Peach Festival, Tango Festival, and Tanabata, are widely enjoyed as celebratory events. However, “Chōyō no Sekku” has become less familiar over time. The tradition of celebrating “Chōyō no Sekku” among the common people began during the Edo period, with the custom of eating chestnut rice on this day. Among the common people, it also became known as the “Chestnut Festival.” This tradition has been passed down to the present day, and chestnut rice is an essential menu item for “Chōyō no Sekku,” even to the extent that some nurseries and schools serve it in their school lunches.

今日９月9日は「重陽（ちょうよう）の節句」です。日本の五節句の1つで、「菊の節句」とも言われ、菊の花を飾ったり、菊の花びらを浮かべたお酒を楽しんだりして長寿や無病息災を祈願する日とされています。しかし、菊の見頃はもう少し先の10月に入ってからですからおかしな話です。これも、太陰暦と太陽暦が入れ混じる日本のカレンダー事情に起因します。「重陽の節句」は旧暦の９月９日の行事で、この日は今の10月10日前後に当たります。
五節句とは、1月7日の人日、3月3日の上巳、5月5日の端午、7月7日の七夕、9月9日の重陽です。
 現在は桃の節句、端午の節句、七夕など、子どもにかかわる節句が、広く祝いの行事として楽しまれていますが、「重陽の節句」は馴染みが薄くなってしまっています。「重陽の節句」の行事が庶民にまで広がったのは江戸時代からで、その日に栗ご飯を食べる習慣が生まれ、庶民の間では「栗の節句」とも呼ばれるようなりました。これが現代にも引き継がれ、栗ご飯は「重陽の節句」には欠かせないメニューになっていて、栗ご飯が給食に出される保育園や学校もあるほどです。