origin
It is generally believed that the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Qu Yuan, an ancient patriotic poet in China, who committed suicide in the Miluo River on the fifth day of May. However, many popular Dragon Boat Festival customs have been circulated before this. Moreover, many customs have elements to ward off epidemics, so some people speculate that the Dragon Boat Festival originated from the taboo of bad days (the fifth month of the lunar calendar was named after the midsummer plague). In addition, Wen Yiduo, a scholar, believes that the two most important activities of the Dragon Boat Festival-running and eating zongzi-are related to dragons (see the Dragon Boat Festival exam). There is also a saying, that is, the totem of welcoming Tao. According to legend, there was a minority in the south of ancient China (probably in today's Zhejiang and Shanghai areas) who thought they were descendants of the dragon. Totem ceremony is held on the fifth day of May every year in order to have a good weather and a good harvest in the coming year. They wrap food in leaves or put it in bamboo, and then throw it into the river. Later, they also visited relatives and friends by canoe on this day. When I was happy, I held an impromptu canoe race, which gradually evolved into the custom of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival today.
custom
On the Dragon Boat Festival, people eat zongzi, drink realgar wine, race dragon boats, hang statues of Zhong Kui at home, hang mugwort and wormwood (Acorus calamus), visit all diseases, wear sachets and prepare sacrifices. Family members wrap colorful silk threads around their children's wrists. Legend has it that they can extend their lives and pray for their children to live a long life.
Clock-hanging statue: In Jianghuai area, every family hangs a clock, which catches ghosts and exorcises evil spirits.
Acorus calamus leaves: Acorus calamus leaves, Artemisia argyi leaves, pomegranate flowers, garlic and dragon boat flowers are made into human figures, which are called Ai people to exorcise evil spirits.
Dragon Boat Race: Use dragon boats to disperse the fish in the river so as not to eat Qu Yuan's body. The habit of competition prevailed in wuyue and Chu. In memory of Qu Yuan.
Dragon Boat Race started in Taiwan Province Province in the 29th year of Qing Qianlong. At that time, Jiang, the chief executive of Taiwan Province Province, held a friendly match in Hexi Half Moon Pool in Tainan City. Now, Taiwan Province Province holds dragon boat races every year.
Eating zongzi: In Jingchu area, glutinous rice or steamed zongzi cakes are cooked and thrown into the river to offer sacrifices to Qu Yuan. In the future, rice wrapped in rice leaves will gradually replace bamboo tubes. Now there are various changes in the shape and content of zongzi all over the country. For example, Huzhou Zongzi in Zhejiang, pepper and salt bean Zongzi in Sichuan, and Ludou Zongzi in Zhongshan, Guangdong.
Drinking realgar wine: popular in the Yangtze River valley.
Wandering all diseases: popular in Guizhou.
Wearing sachets: Children wear sachets to ward off evil spirits and plagues and decorate their chests. The sachet contains cinnabar, realgar and fragrant medicine, wrapped in silk and tied with five-color silk thread.
Write spells: before sunset, fold some peach branches and insert them in doors and windows, or hang spells indoors to ward off evil spirits. This traditional folk custom has basically disappeared now.
Stand an egg: If the egg stands upright at noon, it means good luck in the coming year.
meaning
In memory of the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
To commemorate the first anniversary of Wu Zixu's death (because Wu Zixu's body was wrapped in leather by Fu Cha, the king of Wu, and thrown into the river on the fifth day of May).
In memory of Cao E, the filial daughter of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he saved his father from drowning in the river (Cao E drowned in the river on the fifth day of May, and took out his father's body five days later).
In memory of Qiu Jin, a modern revolutionary poetess (Qiu Jin was martyred on June 5th, and later generations admired her poet, and May 5th was commemorated with Qu Yuan).
range
Many Asian countries also have the Dragon Boat Festival, which generally comes from China, but the traditional customs of different countries are different:
Japan: Men swim and women wash their hair; Because the lunar calendar is no longer adopted, the Dragon Boat Festival in Japan is fixed on May 5 of the solar calendar every year. At the same time, this day is also Japan's Boys' Day and Children's Day, and it is a legal public holiday. On this day, families with boys in Japan want to hang carp flags, which is not the custom of China Dragon Boat Festival.
Korea: Men wrestle and women wash their hair. The Dragon Boat Festival in Korea begins on the fifth day of the fourth lunar month and ends on the seventh day of the fifth lunar month. It is a form of shamanism sacrificial activities, which is very different from the Dragon Boat Festival and Zongzi in China.
Holidays; holiday
Countries and regions that list the Dragon Boat Festival as a public holiday are: Japan, Taiwan Province Province, Hongkong and Macau.