We’ve all heard of the Dragon Boat Festival, and most likely have participated in its festivities every year. But what’s the reasoning behind the celebrations?
It didn’t actually start off as something to celebrate. The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival first originated as a tradition to mourn over the loss of Qu Yuan, who was one of the most prominent poets in Ancient China’s history.
Also known as the Duan Wu Festival (端午节), the Dragon Boat Festival has a few different origin stories. The most well-known version is that the tradition started as a tribute to the poet and minister Qu Yuan, who committed suicide during the Warring States period. He jumped into the Mi Luo River because he failed in his advising role to the Emperor during an invasion, and subsequently lost the battle.
It’s believed that in order to distract the fish from damaging the patriotic poet’s body, people came up with the idea of throwing wrapped rice balls into the river to keep the creatures away. It’s also told that people began paddling down the river to look for his body, which evolved to what is now considered to be the origin of dragon boat races
So what exactly do Chinese people like to do to celebrate Dragon Boat Festival?
1. Enjoy Rice Dumplings
Because of the name “Dragon Boat”, people don’t associate the day with food as much. However, there’s ALWAYS food involved when it comes to Chinese holidays and celebrations.
One of the most iconic delicacies enjoyed during the Festival is Zong Zi (rice dumpling), which is sticky rice balls wrapped in reed leaves. The rice balls usually contain different types of stuffing depending on the region’s tradition; this includes stewed pork belly and marinated duck eggs to sweet treats like dates and red bean paste. There are hundreds of options to choose from. Social media influencers on Weibo even host contests to see whether people prefer “savory or sweet”.
2. Race Dragon Boats
Well, this is a given. Dragon Boat races have become a universally celebrated summer event across continents, and it’s a great opportunity for communities to connect and share stories. You don’t need to be extremely athletic or an expert in Chinese culture to participate — the races purely revolve around the spirit of sportsmanship and competition.
3. Hang Herbs
With the Dragon Boat Festival taking place at the beginning of summer, the weather is more humid and the households are prone to mold and bacteria. That’s why people believe that hanging up herbs in their homes would help clean the air and drive away insects. Common herbs include mugwort brushes (which smell very similar to sage) or calamus (some are a source of rattan and canes).
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