Dragon Boat Festival is also called Why Festival.

Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanyang Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Tianzhong Festival, originated from the worship of natural phenomena in ancient times and evolved from Dragon Boat Festival. On the midsummer Dragon Boat Festival, the Black Dragon stayed in the south of Zhongtian for seven nights, which is the most "right" position in a year, that is, as the fifth divination in the Book of Changes said, "the flying dragon is in the sky". Its origin covers ancient astrological culture, humanistic philosophy and other aspects, and contains profound and rich cultural connotations. In the process of inheritance and development, a variety of folk customs are integrated, and the festival customs are rich in content. Rowing dragon boats and eating zongzi are two major customs of the Dragon Boat Festival, which have been passed down since ancient times in China.

The customs of the Dragon Boat Festival

1, eat zongzi

Eating zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival is also an important custom. Zongzi is also called "tube Zongzi" and "corn millet". Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, every household will soak glutinous rice, wash zongzi leaves and wrap zongzi. Zongzi in different places have different tastes and fillings. Zongzi was originally used to worship ancestors and gods, but the day Quyuan threw himself into the river was also the fifth day of May. People couldn't bear to eat Qu Yuan's body with the fish and shrimp in the river, so they threw zongzi into the fish and shrimp in the river. Zongzi originated much earlier than Qu Yuan. Later generations insisted on eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival in memory of Qu Yuan, and this custom gradually formed. The custom of eating zongzi is very popular all over China, and it is also a memorial to the great poet Qu Yuan.

2. tie five-color silk thread

Traditionally, thick red, green, yellow, white and black silk threads are twisted into colorful ropes and tied around children's arms or necks. From May 5th, it was not until Qi's birthday on Qixi that they were untied and burned with Jin Jun ... There is also a saying that on the first rainy day after Dragon Boat Festival, cutting colorful threads and throwing them in the rain means that the river will wash away plagues and diseases, which means that it can ward off evil spirits and bring good luck for a year.

3. Wear sachets

The custom of children wearing sachets on the Dragon Boat Festival is said to mean to ward off evil spirits and drive away epidemics. In the south, young men and women also express their love through sachets. Sachet bags are colorful, small and lovely, but they are not just decorations. The sachet usually contains Chinese herbal medicine, fragrant medicine, cinnabar, realgar and so on. It has the effect of expelling worms and preventing diseases. The outside is wrapped with silk, then wrapped and fixed with colored silk thread, and finally embroidered with colored silk thread. Colorful sachets are very dazzling.

Step 4 drink realgar wine

Realgar wine has the effect of expelling worms and detoxicating, and drinking more can also make beauty beauty. Drinking realgar wine on Dragon Boat Festival is to drive away diseases. People soak in wine, and then dip it in corners, doors and windows, under beds and so on. Then apply wine to the child's ears, nose and navel to drive away poisonous insects. From a health point of view, these activities are still scientific and reasonable. Realgar mixed with water and wine can be disinfected indoors, and drinking general sprinkling is also quite beneficial.

5. hanging mugwort leaves

There is a folk proverb that says, "Willows are inserted in Qingming Festival and Ai is inserted in Dragon Boat Festival". Folium Artemisiae Argyi is a medicinal plant. Its leaves contain volatile aromatic oil, which can repel mosquitoes and refresh. On the Dragon Boat Festival, people will clean their rooms and put mugwort leaves on the lintel. Folium Artemisiae Argyi represents a blessing, which can make people healthy and play a role in preventing and treating diseases. There is a custom of hanging mugwort leaves on the Dragon Boat Festival in both north and south, but the difference is different. In the south, wormwood leaves are used to eliminate pathogens and diseases, while in the north, drugs are avoided to eliminate pathogens. Their pharmacology is similar, playing the role of sterilization and disease prevention. This is also the national tradition of China.

6. Dragon Boat Race

Dragon boat race is a major custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. As for where the custom of dragon boat racing comes from, it still comes from historical allusions. According to ancient legend, after Qu Yuan was wronged and thrown into the river, the Chu people were very sad. They believed that Chu Yuan was a loyal monarch, so they rowed to save Qu Yuan. However, when they struggled to reach Dongting Lake, there was no trace of Qu Yuan. They were worried that the fish in the lake would eat Qu Yuan's body, so they rowed dragon boats to disperse the fish in the lake. Later, there were dragon boat races every year during the Dragon Boat Festival, and the custom of dragon boat races prevailed in Wu Yuechu at that time. After that, people race dragon boats on the Dragon Boat Festival to pray for good weather.

What are the taboos of Dragon Boat Festival?

1, evil day, children "hide in the afternoon"

May is called "bad month" in geomantic custom, and it is an unlucky month. The Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of May, also called "the fifth day", is the most unlucky day in May. Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival has the custom of "hiding in the afternoon".

2. The most taboo day

There is a common activity on the Dragon Boat Festival, that is, ancestor worship. On this day, it is a custom in many places to throw zongzi into the river. People in some places think that you should not be in a bad mood or depressed during the Dragon Boat Festival, otherwise it will have a bad influence on yourself. Some festive activities, such as moving, taking office and starting work. Neither is suitable for this day, but it is best for family reunion.

3. Avoid wearing bright red and purple jewelry.

Ruby is often very festive, so it is not timely to remember our ancestors during the Dragon Boat Festival. Try not to wear red jade jewelry such as tourmaline, ruby, garnet, red stone and south agate. In the tradition of China, purple is a very noble color, and it has always been regarded as the emperor's spirit, which can frighten all directions. From this point of view, usually wearing energy is high, and it is best not to wear purple jewelry during the Dragon Boat Festival sacrifice.

Children's sachets should not be lost.

In northern China, children in some places have the custom of wearing sachets during the Dragon Boat Festival. For children, if you wear a sachet, you can't lose this day. There is a folk saying that if the child's sachet disappears that day, this year may be a disaster. After the Dragon Boat Festival, children can throw sachets directly into the river, which can avoid disaster.