Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional festival in China and other countries in the cultural circle of Chinese characters. It has profound cultural connotation and rich festival activities. The following is the introduction, origin, development and time of the Dragon Boat Festival:
A brief introduction to the Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanyang Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Double Festival, etc., is a folk festival that integrates worship of gods and ancestors, praying for good luck and warding off evil spirits, celebrating entertainment and eating. It is usually celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and is a traditional festival of Han, Shui, Naxi, Tibetan, Yi, Dai and other ethnic groups. The main customs of the Dragon Boat Festival include dragon boat racing, eating zongzi, hanging mugwort calamus, drinking realgar wine, etc. These activities not only reflect people’s awe and worship of nature, but also express people’s yearning for health, peace and a better life.
The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival
There are many theories about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival:
In memory of Qu Yuan: This is the most widely circulated saying. Qu Yuan was a great poet and statesman in the state of Chu during the Warring States period. Because he was ostracized and slandered by the nobles, he was exiled to the Yuan-Xiang Valley. Chu Ying Du was defeated by the Qin army, Qu Yuan drowned in the Miluo River, martyred the country. After hearing the news, local people rowed boats to rescue him, and threw a lot of zongzi and mugwort leaves to prevent animals such as fish and shrimp from invading his body. This day evolved into a festival in memory of Qu Yuan, the Dragon Boat Festival.
Commemoration of Wu Zixu: Wu Zixu is the Spring and Autumn period Chu people, because his father and brother were killed by King Ping Chu and defecting to the state of Wu, became King Lu’s important minister. He assisted the king of Wu in defeating Strong Chu in the west and Xu, Lu and Qi in the north, and became a vassal. Finally, he committed suicide by remonstrating with King Fuchai in vain. Wu king in the fifth day of May will Wu Zixu’s body with a bird Yi leather wrapped abandoned in the Qiantang River, Wu people pity him, every year on the fifth day of May sacrifice, and later this day also evolved into a festival to commemorate Wu Zixu.
Cao E, a famous filial daughter in the Eastern Han Dynasty, threw herself into the river to look for her father, who drowned during the sacrifice, and eventually surfaced with her father’s body. In order to commemorate her filial piety, the fifth day of May was designated as the Cao ‘e Festival, and gradually merged with the Dragon Boat Festival.
Sacrificial Dragon said: The Dragon Boat Festival is derived from the worship of the sky and evolved from the ancient times of sacrificial dragon. The ancient people’s worship of the dragon totem originated from the worship of the sky, and held a grand dragon sacrifice on May 5 every year to pray for good weather and good harvests.
Evil month Evil day said: in the ancient northern people’s mind, May is regarded as poison month, evil month, the fifth day of May is malaria and other diseases high incidence period. Therefore, people will take various measures on this day to ward off evil spirits and pray for peace.
The development of the Dragon Boat Festival
The formation and development of the Dragon Boat Festival is a long-term historical process. It originated from the dragon totem worship and sacrificial activities in the ancient Wuyue area, and has integrated various cultural elements and folk activities in the process of continuous development. Since the Han Dynasty, the Dragon Boat Festival has gradually formed the fixed festival customs such as eating zongzi, racing dragon boats, and hanging mugwort calamus, which are widely spread throughout China and neighboring countries. In modern society, the Dragon Boat Festival has become an important legal holiday and cultural heritage protection project, which has been widely concerned and valued by the country and society.
The time of the Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Because the lunar calendar does not correspond exactly to the Gregorian calendar, the date of the Dragon Boat Festival is different every year. For example, in 2024, the corresponding date of the Dragon Boat Festival is June 10 in the Gregorian calendar. On this day, people will hold various celebrations to commemorate this traditional festival.
10 June 2024 8-10 June
May 31, 2025 From May 31 to June 2
2026 June 19 to 21 June
June 9, 2027. June 9
2028 May 28 May 27-29
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Chinese cultural characteristics and habits