What is the Dragon Boat Festival and why is it celebrated?
What is the Dragon Boat Festival and why is it celebrated?
Jun 08, 2024
The Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It is celebrated to commemorate the poet and statesman Qu Yuan, who drowned himself in the Miluo River during the Warring States period.
Cultural Significance: The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated to honor Qu Yuan's memory and to prevent evil spirits and diseases. People participate in dragon boat races, where long narrow boats adorned as dragons paddle in unison to the beat of drums. The race symbolizes the desperate search for Qu Yuan's body and is believed to bring good luck and ward off evil spirits.
Customs and Traditions: On this day, people also eat zongzi, sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves, to symbolize the rice balls thrown into the river to prevent fish from eating Qu Yuan's body. They also hang up pouches of herbs called "xiong huang" and wear colorful silk threads to ward off evil spirits and bring good health.
Overall, the Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration deeply rooted in Chinese culture, honoring a beloved poet and promoting unity, good fortune, and protection from evil spirits.