What are the origins and customs of the Dragon Boat Festival?

The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival:

1. According to legend, Qu Yuan advocated for the promotion of the virtuous and the capable, the enrichment of the country and the strengthening of the army, and advocated for the alliance of Qi and the fight against the Qin Dynasty, which was strongly opposed by the aristocrat Zilan and others, and he was slandered and dismissed from his post, driven out of the capital city, and exiled to the Yuan and Xiang valleys. During his exile, he wrote the poems "Li Sao", "Heavenly Question" and "Nine Songs", which were written with concern for the country and the people.

In 278 B.C., when the Qin army broke through the capital of Chu, Qu Yuan saw his motherland being invaded, and his heart was cut to the heart, but he could not bear to give up his motherland, so on the 5th of May, after writing his final work "Huai Sha", he threw himself into the Miluo River and killed himself, composing a magnificent movement of patriotism with his own life.

After Qu Yuan threw himself into the river, the local people heard the news and immediately rowed a boat to rescue ...... But they never found Qu Yuan's body. In order to send condolences, people swing boat above the river, and then gradually developed into dragon boat racing. The people are afraid of the fish in the river to eat his body, they have to go home to bring the rice ball into the river, so as not to fish and shrimp spoiled Qu Yuan's body, and later became the custom of eating rice dumplings.

2, to commemorate the filial daughter Cao E said

Duanwu Festival is to commemorate the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 23 - AD 220) filial daughter Cao E to save her father threw himself into the river. Cao E is the Eastern Han Dynasty Shangyu people, his father drowned in the river, a few days to see the body, when the filial daughter of Cao E was only fourteen years old, day and night along the river crying. After seventeen days, she threw herself into the river on May 5, and five days later, she carried out her father's body.

This is a myth that has been passed down to the governor of the county, who made Dushan erect a monument to his disciple Handan Chun to eulogize him. Therefore, it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day to commemorate Cao E, a filial daughter.

Duanwu Festival customs stories:

1, Dragon Boat Race:

Dragon Boat Race, Dragon Boat Race, 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 to save them. They scrambled and chased to Dongting Lake when they disappeared. 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. The practice of racing, prevalent in Wu, Yue, Chu.

In fact, "dragon boat racing" as early as the Warring States period. In the sound of drums, rowing a canoe carved into the shape of a dragon, racing games to entertain the gods and people, is a half-religious, half-entertainment program in the rituals.

2, Dragon Boat Festival food dumplings

Duanwu Festival to eat dumplings, which is another traditional custom of the Chinese people. Zongzi, also known as "corn", "tube dumplings". It has a 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 corn"; bamboo tube with rice sealed and baked, called "tube dumplings". 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 rice dumplings.

Meaning of the name of the festival

"Dragon Boat Festival" of the "end" of the word "positive", "Wu" is the name of the festival, and "Wu" is the name of the festival, and "Wu" is the name of the festival. The word "Wu" means "middle". "Dragon Boat Festival", "in the right" also, this day at noon for the right in the right. Ancient people to the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to serve as a carrier, the Heavenly Stems carry the way of Heaven, the Earthly Branches carry the way of the Earth, set up the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches to match the movement of heaven and earth and the personnel, and the general Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches of the Era.

Mid-summer noon day dragon in the sky, the dragon star in the south of the mid-heaven, for the whole year the run of the circumference of the heavens is the most "in the right" position, both "in the" and "in the right," is the Great luck and prosperity. Ancient people have always respected the middle, the right way, "neutral" way in this performance. In addition, the end also has a "first" meaning, so the afternoon (five) the first day of the month, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival.