One of the ancient traditional Chinese festivals: the Dragon Boat Festival introduction

1, the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival and legend

2, Dragon Boat Festival customs

3, Dragon Boat Festival poems and verses

4, related proverbs

1. The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival and the legend: the Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient traditional festival, which began in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in China, and has more than 2,000 years of history so far. The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival and many legends, here only introduce the following four: from the commemoration of Qu Yuan according to the "Records of the Grand Historian", "Qu Yuan Jiasheng biography" records, Qu Yuan, is a minister of the Spring and Autumn period, King Huai of Chu. He advocated the idea of raising the number of virtuous people, enriching the country and strengthening the army, and advocated the alliance of Qi against Qin, which was strongly opposed by the aristocrat Zilan and others. Qu Yuan was slandered and expelled from the capital city, and was exiled to the Yuan and Xiang basins. During his exile, he wrote such immortal poems as "Li Sao", "Heavenly Questions" and "Nine Songs", which are unique and far-reaching (thus, the Dragon Boat Festival is also known as the Poets' Festival). In 278 B.C., the Qin army attacked the capital of Chu. Qu Yuan saw his motherland being invaded, and his heart was like a knife, but he could not bear to give up his motherland, and on the 5th of May, after writing his final work "Huai Sha", he threw himself into the Miluo River, and died, composing a magnificent movement of patriotism with his own life. Legend has it that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu were in mourning and flocked to the Miluo River to pay homage to him. The fishermen rowed up their boats and salvaged his real body back and forth on the river. A fisherman took out for Qu Yuan prepared rice balls, eggs and other food, "flop, flop" thrown into the river, said that the fish and lobsters and crabs eat enough, will not go to bite the body of Dr. Qu. People see have followed suit. An old physician to bring a altar of yellow wine poured into the river, said to be drug stunned dragon water beasts, so as not to harm Dr. Qu. Later, for fear of rice balls for the dragon to eat, people came up with neem leaves wrapped rice, wrapped in colorful silk, the development of brown. Later, on the fifth day of the fifth month of every year, there is a dragon boat race, eat zongzi, drink xionghuang wine custom; in order to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. The second legend of the Dragon Boat Festival, which originated from commemorating Wu Zixu, is widely circulated around Jiangsu and Zhejiang, commemorating Wu Zixu during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 - 476 BC). Wu Zixu was a native of Chu, whose father and brother were both killed by the king of Chu. Later, Zixu abandoned the darkness and ran to Wu to help Wu conquer Chu, and entered the capital of Chu, Ying City, in five battles. At that time, King Ping of Chu had already died, and Zixu dug up his grave and whipped his body 300 times to avenge the killing of his father and brother. After the death of King Helu of Wu, his son Fu Chai succeeded to the throne. The Wu army had high morale and won a hundred battles, and the Yue kingdom was greatly defeated, and King Goujian of Yue asked for peace, which Fu Chai agreed to. Zixu suggested that the state of Yue should be completely destroyed, but Fu-chai refused to listen to him, and Wu's Dazai, who had been bribed by the state of Yue, framed Zixu with slanderous rumors, and Fu-chai believed him and gave Zixu a sword, which he used to kill himself. Zixu was a loyal man, and he was very happy to die. Before his death, Zixu said to his neighbors, "When I die, I will dig out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of Wu Jing to see the Yue army enter the city to destroy Wu", and then he cut his own throat, and Fu Cai was furious, and ordered to take Zixu's body and put it into a leather bag to throw it into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month, so it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is a commemorative day for Wu Zixu. The third legend of the Dragon Boat Festival commemorates Cao E, a filial daughter, who saved her father's life and threw herself into the river during the Eastern Han Dynasty (23 - 220 A.D.). Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. When her father drowned in the river and no body was seen for several days, Cao E, who was only fourteen years old at the time, cried along the river day and night. After seventeen days, she threw herself into the river on May 5, and carried her father's body out five days later. The story was passed down as a myth, and the legend spread to the governor of the county, who made Du Shang erect a monument for it, and had his disciple Handan Chun make a eulogy in praise of it. The tomb of Cao E, a filial daughter, is located in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, and it was later rumored that Cao E's monument was written by Wang Yi of the Jin Dynasty. To commemorate Cao E's filial piety, a Cao E Temple was built at the place where Cao E threw herself into the river, the village where she lived was renamed Cao E Town, and the place where Cao E was martyred by her father was named Cao E River. From the ancient Vietnamese national totem sacrifice in recent times, a large number of unearthed artifacts and archaeological research has confirmed: the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in the vast area, in the Neolithic era, there is a geometric printed ceramic as a characteristic of the cultural remains. The remains of the clan, according to experts inferred to be a dragon totem worship tribe ---- history called the Baiyue tribe. Unearthed pottery on the decoration and historical legends show that they have the custom of breaking hair tattoos, living in the water countryside, comparing themselves to the descendants of the dragon. Their production tools, a large number of stone tools, but also shovels, chisels and other small pieces of bronze. As a living thing in the altar pots and jars, cooking food printed pots are unique to them, is one of the symbols of their ethnic groups. Until the Qin and Han Dynasties, there were still Baiyue people, and the Dragon Boat Festival was created by them for ancestor worship. Over thousands of years of history, most of the Baiyue people have been integrated into the Han Chinese, while the rest have evolved into many ethnic minorities in the south, making the Dragon Boat Festival a festival for the entire Chinese nation.

2. Dragon Boat Festival customs: China's folk over the Dragon Boat Festival is more grand, celebrated a variety of activities, the more common activities are the following forms: Dragon Boat Race: _ Dragon Boat, is the main custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. Legend has it that it originated in ancient times in Chu because they could not bear to see the wise minister Qu Yuan throw himself into the river to die, and many people rowed boats to catch up with them to save them. They scrambled to catch up and lost sight of him when he chased him to Dongting Lake. After that, they rowed dragon boats on May 5 every year to commemorate it. The dragon boat was used to disperse the fish in the river, so that the fish would not eat Qu Yuan's body. Racing habits, prevalent in Wu, Yue, Chu. In fact, "dragon boat racing" as early as the Warring States period. In the sound of drums, rowing carved into the shape of a dragon canoe, do the race game, to entertain the gods and people, is a half-religious, half-entertainment program in the rituals. Later, the dragon boat race in addition to commemorate the Qu Yuan, people around the world also paid a different meaning. Zhejiang and Jiangsu areas rowing dragon boat, both to commemorate the local birth of modern female democratic revolutionaries Qiu Jin significance. Night on the dragon boat, lights and colors, back and forth, water and underwater, the scene is moving, interesting. Miao people in Guizhou in the lunar calendar May 25-28 held "Dragon Boat Festival" to celebrate the victory of rice-planting and wishing a good harvest. Yunnan Dai compatriots in the Water Festival Dragon Boat Race, in honor of the ancient heroes of the rock red nest. Different ethnic groups, different regions, paddle dragon boat legend is different. Until today in the south of the many near the rivers, lakes and seas of the region, the annual Dragon Boat Festival will be held in their own characteristics of the Dragon Boat Race activities. In the 29th year of the Qianlong reign (1736) of the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan began to hold dragon boat races. At that time, Taiwan's governor, Chiang Yuan-jun, hosted a friendly race at the Half Moon Pond of Fahua Temple in Tainan City. Nowadays, dragon boat races are held in Taiwan every year on May 5th. In Hong Kong, races are also held. In addition, rowing dragon boat has been introduced to neighboring countries such as Japan, Vietnam and the United Kingdom. 1980, dragon boat racing was included in China's national sports competitions, and held annually "Qu Yuan Cup" Dragon Boat Race. 1991 June 16 (the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar), in the second hometown of Qu Yuan in China's Hunan city of Yueyang, held the first International Dragon Boat Festival. Prior to the race, the "Dragon Head Festival" was held, which preserved traditional rituals and injected new modern elements. The "dragon head" was carried into the Qu Zi Ancestral Hall, where the athletes "reddened" the dragon head (draped with a red sash), the officiating priest read out the sacrificial text, and the dragon head was "enlightened" (i.e., lighted). Then, participate in the sacrifice of the dragon of all personnel three bows, the dragon is carried to the Buro River, running to the dragon boat race. More than 600,000 people participated in the race, fair and celebration, which was an unprecedented event. After that, Hunan will regularly organize the International Dragon Boat Festival. The dragon boat race will be passed down to the world. Dragon Boat Festival food dumplings Dragon Boat Festival to eat dumplings, which is another traditional custom of the Chinese people. Zongzi, also known as "corn", "tube dumplings". Its long history, a variety of patterns. According to records, as early as the Spring and Autumn period, with Mizushu leaves (wild rice leaves) wrapped in millet into a horn-shaped, called "corner of millet"; bamboo tube with rice sealed and baked, called "tube zong". The end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, to grass ash water soaked in millet, because the water contains alkali, with Mushroom leaves wrapped in millet into a quadrangular shape, cooked, became the Guangdong alkaline water dumplings. Jin Dynasty, zongzi was officially designated as the Dragon Boat Festival food. At this time, the package zongzi raw materials in addition to glutinous rice, but also add the Chinese medicine Yi Zhi Ren, cooked zongzi called "Yi Zhi Zong". Zhou Zhou, "Yueyang customs and local history" records: "common to wrap millet with Aizome leaves,? Cooked, and rotten, in the fifth of May to the summer solstice bite, a zong, a millet." North and South Dynasty period, the emergence of mixed rice dumplings. Rice mixed with animal and poultry meat, chestnuts, jujubes, adzuki beans, etc., more varieties. Zongzi also used as a gift for interaction. To the Tang Dynasty, rice dumplings with rice, has been "white as jade", the shape of its conical, diamond-shaped. Japanese literature recorded in the "Tang dumplings". Song Dynasty, there has been "candied rice dumplings", that is, fruit into the dumplings. The poet Su Dongpo has "in the dumplings see prunes" poem. At this time also appeared with zongzi piled up into buildings, pavilions, wooden cars, cows and horses for the advertisement, indicating that the Song Dynasty to eat zongzi has been very fashionable. Yuan, Ming period, zongzi parcel material has changed from zongmu leaf for Ruo leaf, and later appeared with reed leaf package of zongzi, additional material has appeared bean paste, pork, pine nuts, jujube, walnuts and so on, varieties are more colorful. Until today, at the beginning of May every year, the Chinese people have to dip glutinous rice, wash zongzi leaves, package zongzi, its color varieties are more varied. From the filling point of view, the north more packages of small jujube Beijing jujube dumplings; the south has bean paste, fresh meat, ham, egg yolks and other fillings, which is represented by the Zhejiang Jiaxing zongzi. Eat zongzi custom, for thousands of years, in China prevailed, and spread to North Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. Perfume Sachet: Dragon Boat Festival children wear perfume sachets, legend has it that the meaning of the evil spirits to drive away the plague, is actually used for the lapel head embellishment decoration. The scented capsule inside the cinnabar, andrographis, incense medicine, wrapped in silk cloth, fragrant, and then the five-color silk string buckle into a rope, for a variety of different shapes, knotted into a string, colorful, exquisite and lovely. Duck eggs at Dragon Boat Festival Gaoyou Dragon Boat Festival is more special, there are tied hundred rope son, paste five poison, paste the charm, put yellow smoke, eat "twelve red" and other customs, the children Xing hanging "duck eggs Luozi", is to pick the good-looking duck eggs in the colorful thread knotted in the Luozi, hanging in front of the chest. Suspension of moxa iris: folk proverb: "Qingming willow, Dragon Boat Festival moxa". In the Dragon Boat Festival, people put the moxa and calamus as one of the important contents. Every family sweeps the court, to calamus, moxa inserted in the door eyebrow, hanging in the hall. And with calamus, moxa, pomegranate, garlic, dragon boat flower, made of human or tiger-shaped, known as Ai man, Ai tiger; made of wreaths, ornaments, beautiful and fragrant, women compete to wear, to drive away miasma. Mugwort, also known as family mugwort, Artemisia absinthium. Its stems and leaves contain volatile aromatic oil. It produces a peculiar aroma that can repel mosquitoes and flies, insects and ants, and purify the air. In Chinese medicine, moxa is used as medicine, which has the functions of regulating qi and blood, warming the uterus, and dispelling cold and dampness. The leaves of moxa are processed into "moxa velvet", which is an important herb for moxibustion. Calamus is a perennial aquatic herb, its long and narrow leaves also contain volatile aromatic oils, which are medicines for refreshing the mind, strengthening the bones and eliminating stagnation, and killing worms and sterilizing bacteria. It can be seen that the ancient people inserted wormwood and calamus is a certain role in disease prevention. Dragon Boat Festival is also passed down from ancient times, "Health Festival", people in this day to clean the courtyard, hanging moxa sticks, hanging calamus, sprinkle xionghuang water, drink xionghuang wine, stirring up turbidity in addition to corrosion, sterilization and disease prevention. These activities also reflect the fine tradition of the Chinese nation. Dragon Boat Festival on the mountains to pick medicine, is the countries of China's national **** the same custom.

3. Dragon Boat Festival Poetry Verse: Dragon Boat (Tang) Wenxiu section of the Dragon Boat Festival since who said that the ancient rumors for Qu Yuan; can laugh at the empty Chu River, can not be washed straight ministers wrong. The first is a poem about a man who is a member of a group of people who are not. Duanwu (Tang) Yin Yaofan youth festivals times more sentimental, old who knows the feelings born; do not follow the custom of Ai Fu tend, but pray for bushels of wine to talk about the peace and prosperity. The sideburns are getting whiter by the day, and the durian brocade is shining brightly every year; the wise and the foolish are the same in a thousand years, and a few people have been annihilated. Song of the Racing Ferry (excerpt) (Tang) Zhang Jianfeng on the 5th day of May, the sky is clear and bright, the poplar flower crows the dawn eagle around the river; the envoy has not yet gone out of the county lounge, and the sound of Qi and harmony is heard on the river; the envoy has all the right to go out and has been led by the red flag in front of his horse; the two sides of the banks of the river have been scented by robed clothes, and silver hairpins shine in the sun like frosty blades; the drums sound three times, and the red flag opens up, and the two dragons leap out of the floating water; the rowing of the shadow of the wave is flying with ten thousand swords, and the sound of the drums splits the waves with thousands of thunders; the sound of the drums is becoming more rapid and the mark will be nearer, and the two dragons will look at the mark as if they were instantly looking at the mark; the people on the slope cry The people on the slope call out in thunder and lightning, and the colorful rainbow and neon at the end of the pole are dizzy; the front boat has already won the mark, and the back boat loses the momentum and swings in an empty way. The Festival Door. Duanyang (Qing Dynasty) Li Jingshan cherry mulberry and calamus, and even buy a pot of xionghuang wine. Outside the door hanging high yellow paper post, but suspected that the owner of the account is afraid of spiritual symbols. The first of these is the "Duanwu" (Dragon Boat Festival). Duanwu Lao She Duanwu coincided with the wind and rain crazy, the village children are still wearing the old clothes; invite each other to bring a heavy rainboat, dare to love the Cao Tang for the mud depths; have a guest concentric when the flesh and blood, no money to buy wine to sell the article; the year this will be three feet of fish, not like today's flavor of beans.

4. Related proverbs: not eat May dumplings, bedding is not willing to loose. Before eating the May dumplings, the broken fur is not willing to put. If you have not eaten the rice dumplings in May, you will not be able to let go of your torn fur. If you have not eaten the rice dumplings in May, don't put your cold clothes in the bar. If you have not eaten the rice dumplings in May, your cold clothes will not go into the bar. If you have not eaten the rice dumplings in May, you will not dare to send your cold clothes to the bar. Before eating May rice dumplings, cold clothes do not enter the bar, eaten in May rice dumplings, not enough 100 days and turn the wind. The Qingming Festival is a great opportunity for people to learn more about the Chinese culture. (North) Toads can't hide from May 5th. (Beijing) Toads and tadpoles hide from the Dragon Boat Festival. （If you don't wear moxa at the Dragon Boat Festival, you will die and become a monster. (Northwest) If you drink a mouthful of water at noon, you will be able to take tonic medicine for three years. (Shandong) If you drink Xionghuang wine, you will lose all diseases. (Shanxi) Money is hard to buy May 5th drought (Shanxi) did not eat the Dragon Boat Festival dumplings, cold clothes can not be sent; eat the Dragon Boat Festival dumplings, but also freeze three frozen. (Baoshan) Duanwu Festival, the weather is hot; the five poisons wake up, not peaceful. (Jiangsu and Zhejiang) Invite the Bodhisattva at the Dragon Boat Festival, and send the squid at the Dragon Boat Festival. (Jiangsu and Zhejiang) A good time when the five days, together with the old wish a thousand years. (Jiangsu)