Up in the Hebrides we find the old Scandinavian and Celtic partiality for certain odd numbers - a favourite cure for jaundice consists in wearing a shirt previously dipped in water taken from the tops of nine waves, and in which nine stones have been boiled. Vestiges of numerical lore followed the emigrating Scots and as a child I would charm away warts by repeating a secret rhyme "nine times nine times.".
The early Saxon physicians in England placed their faith in the peculiar virtues of the number nine. We see this in many of their prescriptions, for example this delightful piece of advice.:--
For flying venom and every venomous swelling, on a Friday churn butter which has been milked from a neat or hind all of one colour, and let it not be mingled with water. Sing over it nine times a litany and nine times the Paternoster, and nine times this incantation.
Nine was a significant number to the Etruscans, the ancient people of north west Italy who worshipped nine gods. Nine was also a holy number in Rome. The Romans honoured the goddess Nundina by holding a purification ceremony for male infants on their nineth day of life. They also held a feast, in memory of the dead, every nine years.
Ancient Greeks honoured the daughters of Zeus, the Nine Muses, who presided over our daily affairs
Ancient Chinese regarded odd numbers as being masculine and even numbers as being feminine. "Nine", the largest single digit number, was taken to mean the "ultimate masculine" and symbolic of the supreme sovereignty of the emperor. The number "nine" (or its multiples) is often employed in palace structures and designs. In the royal palace or a monastery, the doors, windows, stairs or fixtures existed in multiples of nine or a number that contains nine.
The Chinese tended to view life diametrically. So when a change occurred in one aspect of life, that change was a result of a change in its opposite. Therefore, as a symbol of extremity, "9" in Chinese Culture is also a warning, a turning point. In the "Book of Changes", wherever number "9" appears, it's a crucial point of change and transformation.
In traditional Chinese culture, the ninth day of the ninth month has long been a very important festival known as the Double Yang Festival, a time for wine and poetry inspired by the beautiful autumn scenery. In the past, Chinese scholars would climb nearby mountains and look into the distance and think of their faraway friends
And that's a festival worthy of keeping up -- no matter what your culture
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