Dragon boat festival custom
First, wash herbal water
Washing herbal water is one of the customs of Dragon Boat Festival. Dragon Boat Festival is the most herbal day in a year, and medicines are everywhere at noon. Washing herbal water at noon can cure skin diseases and eliminate evil spirits. During the Dragon Boat Festival, many places in China have the custom of picking herbs, boiling herbs and bathing in water, and the medicinal properties of the Dragon Boat Festival herbs have played a vital role in it.
Second, pick the "Dragon Boat Festival"
Choosing "Dragon Boat Festival Bears" means that whenever the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated in the lunar calendar in the past, the "hairy-footed son-in-law" (Ningbo people call the betrothed future son-in-law "hairy-footed son-in-law") has to pick a heavy gift to the woman's home with a red rice basket, which is called "Dragon Boat Festival Bears".
Third, put the kite
Flying kites during the Dragon Boat Festival is also a custom in cities in the south of China. During the Dragon Boat Festival, children flying kites are called "letting off disasters". Kite, namely paper kite. It is a toy. Paper or silk is pasted on a bamboo pole and other skeletons, and a long line tied to it is pulled, so that it can be put into the sky under the wind. It belongs to an aircraft that only uses aerodynamic force.
Fourth, stick the noon symbol
In the old days, some places in Guangdong had the custom of posting "noon symbols". After lunch, everyone posted "noon symbols". The operator uses a yellow note about an inch wide and nearly a foot long, on which the words "At noon on May 5, the official and non-oral diseases, snakes, insects, rats and ants were eliminated" were written in cinnabar. Hang calamus, phoenix tail, mugwort leaves, etc. on the gate, and tie a bunch of garlic and coat it with cinnabar to ward off evil spirits. Some people also put small couplets written in yellow paper on their doors: "Ai Qi welcomes all blessings, Pu Jian kills all evils."
Five, smoked atractylodes rhizome
Fumigating Atractylodes lancea is one of the traditional activities of Dragon Boat Festival. In the folk, Atractylodes lancea is used to disinfect the air, that is, the natural Atractylodes lancea is bound together. The thin smoke produced after burning will not only give off a fragrance, but also drive away mosquitoes, which is refreshing.
The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival
There are many explanations about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, such as: in memory of Qu Yuan; In memory of Wu Zixu's theory; In memory of Cao E; From the three generations of summer solstice festival; The theory of driving away the evil moon and the evil day, the theory of national totem sacrifice in Wuyue and so on. Each of the above has its own source.
According to more than 100 ancient books and archaeological research by experts listed in Wen Yiduo's Examination of the Dragon Boat Festival and Historical Education of the Dragon Boat Festival, the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival was a totem festival held by the southern wuyue people in ancient China, earlier than Qu Yuan. However, for thousands of years, Qu Yuan's patriotic spirit and touching poems have been deeply rooted in people's hearts, so people "cherish and mourn them, and discuss their words in the world, so as to tell them from generation to generation". Therefore, the theory of commemorating Qu Yuan has the widest and deepest influence and occupies the mainstream position. In the field of folk culture, China people associate the dragon boat race and eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival with the commemoration of Qu Yuan.