TodayisMayinChineselunarcalendarisDragonBoatFestival,alsoknownastheDragonBoatFestival,themiddayFestival,festivalofMay,five,AIFestival,endofday,noon,thesummerfestival.Althoughthenamesaredifferent,thecustomsofpeoplearoundtheholidayisthesame.DragonBoatFestivalisChinamorethan2000yearsoldcustoms,eachtothisday,eachandeveryfamilyweresuspendedasZhongKui,hangstheleafcalamus,dragonboatraces,eatzongzi,drinkingrealgarwine,travelsickness,Perrysachet!
Morning,webegantopackdumplings,readytofeedmybelly",saidtheDragonBoatFestival,youmustnotknowtheDragonBoatFestivalknowledge,letmetellyouthedoctorabouttheDragonBoatFestivalknowledge!TalkingabouttheDragonBoatFestival,wehavetoselectapoetaskedhimtohelpustostartatthebeginningofhim,butheisHeFangdivine?Heisthefamouspatrioticpoet--QuYuan!QuYuanistheWarringStatesperiodabroad,verylearned.HewasanofficialintheimageistheChuside,ourcountryrichandstrong.Hewasatraitortogenius,QuYuanXiaozhiexile.Inexile,QuYuanheardthattheChucapitalheldbytheenemy,thepeopleindistress,veryangry.ThefifthinMaythisday,hecametotheMiluoRiver,holdingapieceofstone,toplungeintotheMiluoriver.OverseaspeoplehearQuYuanRivernews,verysad.TheirtearsrowedtosalvageQuYuan,alsoputthedumplingsintotherivertofeedthefishinthehopethatthefish,donotharmthebodyofQuYuan.ThisistheMayfestivaldumplings.IliketheDragonBoatfestival.
TheDragonBoatFestival,alsocalledtheDuanwuFestival,iscelebratedonthefifthdayofthefifthmonthaccordingtotheChinesecalendar.Peoplealwayseatricedumplingsandwatchdragonboatracestocelebrateit.
Thefestivalisbestknownforitsdragon-boatraces,especiallyinthesouthernplaceswheretherearemanyriversandlakes.Ití?sverypopular.
Thericedumplingismadeofglutinousrice,meatandsoon.Youcaneatdifferentkindsofricedumplings.Theyareverydelicious.
AndDragonBoatFestivalisforQuYuan.Heisanhonestministerwhoissaidtohavecommittedsuicidebydrowninghimselfinariver.
Overall,theDragonBoatFestivalisveryinteresting!
TheDragonBoatFestivalisalunarholiday,occurringonthefifthdayofthefifthlunarmonth
TheChineseDragonBoatFestivalisasignificantholidaycelebratedinChina,andtheonewiththelongesthistory.TheDragonBoatFestivaliscelebratedbyboatracesintheshapeofdragons.Competingteamsrowtheirboatsforwardtoadrumbeatracingtoreachthefinishendfirst.
TheboatracesduringtheDragonBoatFestivalaretraditionalcustomstoattemptstorescuethepatrioticpoetChuYuan.ChuYuandrownedonthefifthdayofthefifthlunarmonthin277B.C.Chinesecitizensnowthrowbambooleavesfilledwithcookedriceintothewater.Thereforethefishcouldeatthericeratherthantheheropoet.Thislateronturnedintothecustomofeatingtzungtzuandricedumplings.
Thecelebration'sisatimeforprotectionfromevilanddiseasefortherestoftheyear.Itisdonesobydifferentpracticessuchashanginghealthyherbsonthefrontdoor,drinkingnutritiousconcoctions,anddisplayingportraitsofevil'snemesis,ChungKuei.Ifonemanagestostandaneggonit'sendatexactly12:00noon,thefollowingyearwillbealuckyone.
AChineseholidayisgainingworldwidepopularity
Someholidaysaresomuchfunthattheycatchonoutsideoftheirculture.ThemostobviousexampleisprobablyChristmas,whichiscelebratedaroundtheworldbypeoplewhoaren'tevenChristian.Similarly,inrecentyears,theDragonBoatFestivalhasmovedbeyondChinatobecomeaninternationalholidaycelebratedbypeoplewhomayknowlittleabouttheholiday'sorigins.
TheDragonBoatFestivalisoneofthreemajorChineseholidays,alongwiththeSpringandMoonFestivals.Ofthethree,itispossiblytheoldest,datingbacktotheWarringStatesPeriodin227B.C.ThefestivalcommemoratesQuYuan,aministerintheserviceoftheChuEmperor.Despairingovercorruptionatcourt,Quthrewhimselfintoariver.Townspeoplejumpedintotheirboatsandtriedinvaintosavehim.Then,hopingtodistracthungryfishfromhisbody,thepeoplescatteredriceonthewater.
Overtheyears,thestoryofQu'sdemisetransformedintothetraditionsofracingdragonboatsandeatingzongzi–akindofricewrappedinbambooleaves.Theraceshavecertainlycapturedtheimaginationofpeoplefromallovertheworld.Everyspringtherearenearly60dragonboatracesheldoutsideofChinaincitiesfromVancouvertoSydney,fromGdańsk,PolandtoCapeTown,SouthAfrica.Canadaalonehasnearly50dragonboatteamsandGermanyhasnearly30.
SowhatisitabouttheDragonBoatFestivalthatappealstoforeigners?“It'sanunusualsport,”saysoneracerfromGermany.“It'snotlikeeverybody'sdoingit.That'soneofthereasonsthatthere'ssuchgreatteamspiritinadragonboatteam–everybodyfeelslikewe'redoingsomethingspecial.”Andwhataboutthezongzi?“Ehhh,they'renotbad,Iguess,”hesays.“Somethingofanacquiredtaste.Ijusthaven'treallyacquiredityet.”