The Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient traditional festival that began in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in China and has a history of more than 2,000 years. It is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar every year.
The real origin of the Dragon Boat Festival
1, from the commemoration of Qu Yuan
The folk of the most rumors, the real origin of the Dragon Boat Festival is, according to legend, Qu Yuan on the fifth day of the fifth month of May to throw himself into the Miluo River, after his death, for the dragon, the world mourned, every day to throw the five-color silk dumplings in the water to drive away the dragon. water to drive away the dragon. It is also rumored that after Qu Yuan threw himself into Miluo River, the local people immediately rowed a boat to rescue him, and the boat traveled to Dongting Lake, where Qu Yuan's body was finally missing. At that time, on a rainy day, the boats on the lake gathered together by the pavilion on the shore.
When people learned that it was the salvage of the wise minister Qu Daifu, once again braved the rain, scrambling to row into the vast Dongting Lake. In order to send their condolences, people swung their boats over the river, which has since gradually developed into a dragon boat race. Wu Jun of the Southern Dynasty, "the continuation of Qi Harmony" has this record ": Chu doctor Qu Yuan was not used by the slander, is the day to throw Miluo River to die, the Chu people mourn, is to save the oars." This shows the true origin of folklore Dragon Boat Festival is also some basis.
2, the Dragon Festival
Ancient Wu Yue people to show that they are "dragon" heirloom, the dragon as a totem, with a broken hair tattoo custom. May 5 every year, they have to hold a grand totem ritual activities, will be installed in the bamboo tube in the food or wrapped in leaves in the food, one side poured into the water, dedicated to the totem God to eat, one side of their own to eat, and paddle that carved with a dragon canoe in the water to perform to the totem God to see. A large number of artifacts unearthed in recent years and archaeological research has proved that the true origin of the Dragon Boat Festival and the Wu-Yue tribe's sacrifice to the totem is more scientific.
3, from the evil day
There are many ways of saying the true origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, in the pre-Qin era, it is generally believed that May is a poisonous month, the fifth day is an evil day. The chapter "Zhongxia ji" in Lu Shi Chun Qiu (The Spring and Autumn Annals of Lu Shi) stipulates that people should abstain from sex and fasting in May. The Xia Xiaozheng (夏小正)recorded that "medicines were stored on this day in order to purify the poisonous qi." Dai Dai Rites" in the record, "the fifth day of the fifth month of the animal orchids for the bath," to bathe to drive away evil spirits, that the fifth day is the day of death of the legend is also a lot of. The Historical Records of Meng Changjun (孟尝君列传) recorded the history of the city. Meng Changjun biography" records the history of the famous Meng Changjun, born on May 5th.
His father asked his mother not to give birth to him, thinking that "the son of the month of May, long in the household Qi, will be unfavorable to his parents." The anonymous article of "Customs" said, "It is commonly said that if a child is born on May 5, the male will harm his father and the female will harm her mother. The eastern Jin general Wang Zhenxu was born on the fifth day of the fifth month, his grandfather named him "Zhenxu". Song Huizong Zhao Ji was born on the fifth day of the fifth month, from childhood foster outside the palace. Visible, ancient May 5 for the evil day, is a common phenomenon. According to this the true origin of the Dragon Boat Festival and this also has something to do with ah!
So, in this day insert calamus, moxa leaves to drive away ghosts, fumigate Cangzhu, dahurica and drink xionghuang wine to avoid the epidemic, is a logical thing, so the real origin of the Dragon Boat Festival is really from this? Jing Chu chronicle" recorded: "Jing Chu people to the fifth of May and step on the grass, pick Ai as a person, hanging on the portal to avoid poisonous gas." It is also believed that zongzi is nothing more than a kind of common folk food, dragon boat race is a kind of festival activities, initially not fixed in the Dragon Boat Festival.
4, from the summer solstice
It is based on the "after the Han Book - rituals," recorded in the Han Dynasty on May 5 with "Zhu Suo, five-color seal for the portal decorative" practice, is the use of summer, Shang, Zhou dynasty about the solstice of some of the customs, and has been to the Tang dynasty, "the age of Hua Jili" on the Dragon Boat Festival. Age Hua Jili" on the interpretation of the Dragon Boat Festival is still "day leaf is the sun, when in the summer", meaning that only in the summer solstice the sun can be fully integrated in the position of the sun. Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the day in the festival, so the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival should be the summer solstice. The four true origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, the most widely circulated in folklore is to commemorate the Qu Yuan said.
The Dragon Boat Festival customs
1, grill dragon boat
Grill dragon boat is a multi-people collective paddle race, is an important activity of the Dragon Boat Festival, is an ancient dragon totem ritual festival, is a legacy. Is an important activity of the Dragon Boat Festival, is still very popular in China's southern coastal areas, spread abroad, loved by the people of various countries and the formation of international competitions.
The Dragon Boat Festival has a dragon boat also has a phoenix boat, phoenix boat is derived from the ancient boat, some places there are dragon and phoenix boat. The dragon boat is a form of dragon worship in folk beliefs, that is, to borrow the divine power of the dragon to pray for blessings and ward off evil spirits.
2, hanging mugwort and calamus
In the Dragon Boat Festival, people inserted mugwort and calamus as one of the important content, families are cleaned, to calamus, moxa inserted in the door eyebrow, hanging in the hall. Folk believe that the wormwood also wards off evil spirits, the role of attracting a hundred blessings, during the Dragon Boat Festival to hang the wormwood on the door, followed into the habit, and then into the Dragon Boat Festival custom.
North and South are all over the Dragon Boat Festival hanging mugwort custom. In the south, it is regarded as an auspicious day to drive away evil spirits and diseases, and in some places in the north, it is regarded as an evil day to avoid evil spirits and poisons.
3, wash herbal water
Wash herbal water, one of the Dragon Boat Festival customs, Dragon Boat Festival is the day of the year in the strongest medicinal day, Dragon Boat Festival all over the medicine. Dragon Boat Festival wash herbal water can cure skin diseases, remove the evil spirit. During the Dragon Boat Festival, many places in China have to pick herbs to cook herbal water bath custom, Dragon Boat Festival herbs in which the medicinal properties play a vital role.
4, worship God and ancestor
Worship God and ancestor is one of the important customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. "Heaven and earth, the origin of life; ancestor, the class of the origin." Heaven and earth are the fundamentals of life, and ancestors are the fundamentals of mankind, and ancestor worship is a custom of passing on filial piety. According to the folk concept, one's ancestors should be worshipped as seriously as heaven, earth and gods. Because the ancestors of the "spirit of heaven", all the time in the care and attention of future generations of children and grandchildren, earthly people should be through the sacrifice to pray and repay their shelter and blessing.
5, wear scented sachets
Wear scented sachets, is one of the traditional customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is usually filled with aromatic herbs, which have the effect of clearing the scent, repelling insects, avoiding the plague, and preventing diseases. Duan Yang with four-color thread tie arm, and wear incense sachet, small and exquisite can be seen. Fragrance pouch, also known as incense bag, incense bag, purse, is generally loaded with spices, with five-color silk thread twisted and become, or the use of colorful satin or cloth wrapped in cotton, mixed with chuanxiong, dahurica, row of grass, scullcap grass, cloves, mountain ai, fine Xin, ganzong, dahuric acid, licorice, andrographis powder powder and other powder, and then use colorful silk embroidery and become, the lower side is also draped with a variety of red, green, blue, blue, purple thread spikes, worn on the chest, the aroma of the nose.
The Dragon Boat Festival children to wear scented bags, legend has it that the evil spirits to drive away the plague. Scented sachets for a variety of different shapes, knotted into a string, colorful, small and lovely, has become a common crafts. In some cities in southern China, young men and women also use scented pouches to express strong love.
6, casting flint
Wang Chong of the Eastern Han Dynasty's "On the balance" recorded the Dragon Boat Festival, "casting flint" ceremonial customs: "flint fire in the sky, in the middle of the day in the May C when the consummation of five stones, casting as a device, the Mo Reed light! The fire will come to the sun, and this is the way to get the real fire". Ancient people believe that the noon month noon day noon with triple fire, is the time of Yang Qi is very strong, in this moment to fire gold, is the best time to melt gold cast mirror, cast bronze mirror with incredible power. Mirror to ward off evil customs, in the southern coastal area has a wide range of applications and heredity, can often be seen shortly after the birth of small children, wearing a silver mirror and other accessories, such silver jewelry, small mirrors, etc., is used for children to ward off evil spirits. Newly built temples and Taoist temples, the ridge of the center is often decorated with copper mirrors. Is a modern neighborhood brand-new building doors, windows above, can often be found hanging mirrors, these are used for the so-called evil spirits. This shows that the mirror to ward off evil cultural beliefs in the folk y rooted.
7, bolted five-color silk thread
Five-color silk thread, also commonly known as the five-color silk, five-color silk. Ancient common name for avoiding military bindings, Zhu Suo and so on. Tied to the mosquito net, cradle on the rope is also known as the Wan Wan, Jian rope. The five colors of the five-color silk represents the five elements, five colors represent the five directions, each other, with a mysterious role in driving away evil and welcoming good luck. Five-color silk thread from China's ancient concept of the five elements, five-color silk tied to the arm, or for the tattoo legacy. Dragon Boat Festival with five-color silk thread on the arm, was a very popular custom. Passed on to later generations, that is, the development of such as long-life wisps, long-life locks, incense packets and many other kinds of beautiful ornaments, the production is also becoming more and more sophisticated, become the Dragon Boat Festival unique folk art.
8, dip dragon boat water
Duanwu Festival during the dip dragon boat water is a traditional custom in southern China, people will be before and after the Dragon Boat Festival of the descent of the strong water called the dragon boat water, DuanYang water, hair of the dragon, dragon water, dragon water, etc., that this water is auspicious water, have to ward off the role of evil spirits. Midsummer Dragon Boat Festival Cang Long Qunxing soared in the middle of the sky in the south. In folk beliefs in the dragon is auspicious, and wind and rain master, the dragon flying sky, traveling clouds and rain. Natural phenomena, every year before and after the Dragon Boat Festival, the south of China's warm and humid air flow is active, and from the north south of the cold air in Guangdong and Guangxi, Fujian, Hainan convergence, there is often a sustained wide range of heavy precipitation. When the Dragon Boat Festival heavy precipitation comes, the river level rises rapidly, for picking dragon boat provides a good site conditions. According to traditional saying dip dragon boat water means good luck, everything goes well. Every year "dragon boat water" to come, people will take their families to the river to wash the dragon boat water, the ancients believe that "dragon boat water" has the role of warding off evil spirits, can purify the body, wash away bad luck, bring good luck.
9, Dragon Boat Festival food dumplings
Duanwu food dumplings, is the traditional custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. Dumplings, commonly known as zongzi, the main material is glutinous rice, fillings, with Ruo leaf (or Shuu leaf, Leucaena leucocephala) wrapped and become a variety of shapes, there is a sharp angle, square, etc.. Its origins are long, initially used to be a tribute to the gods and ancestors. After it was introduced to the north, it was made with millet (produced in the north) and called "Corn". Due to the different dietary habits of different places, dumplings formed a north-south flavor; from the taste points, dumplings have salty dumplings and sweet dumplings two categories. Duanwu food dumplings custom, for thousands of years in China, has become the Chinese nation's most influential, the most extensive coverage of one of the folk dietary practices, and spread to North Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian countries.
Every year at the beginning of May, the Chinese people dip glutinous rice, wash zongzi leaves, package zongzi, its colorful varieties. From the filling point of view, the north more packages of small jujube Beijing jujube dumplings; the south has bean paste, fresh meat, ham, clams vulgaris, egg yolk and other fillings.