Folk custom of dragon boat race

Dragon boat race is one of the important folk activities of Dragon Boat Festival. Every year, various forms of dragon boat races add a lot of color to this traditional festival. In addition to competitions, there are some traditional customs about dragon boat racing:

The first is the Dragon Boat Festival.

The first day of May is the day when the dragon boat is launched every year. Early in the morning, people beat gongs and drums, set off firecrackers and burn incense in order to pray for good results, and hope that the weather will be good and the government will be harmonious. Every dragon boat has to go through such a sacrificial ceremony, and the dragon head is put on the dragon boat before it is officially launched.

Second, the finishing touch of the dragon boat

Little Paradise, good luck, good luck; Two noses, harmony and happiness, family peace; At three o'clock, you can always laugh and have good luck; Dragon horn at four o'clock, good weather, peace and prosperity; At five o'clock, may the dragon boat bring us health, auspiciousness and happiness.

Throughout the country, most dragon boat races will be held before the start or when the dragon boat is launched. The finishing touch of dragon boat comes from the saying "finishing touch", which means peace and good luck.

Third, rhythmic drums.

In the dragon boat race, there is a drummer in front of each dragon boat, playing rhythm with music and trumpet. This drumming is not purely for fun. The rhythm of drumming is to control the rhythm of oars when rowing dragon boats. If you want to row neatly, you have to listen to the drums to master the rhythm. Paddling together according to the drums will be more concentrated and faster, and it will also make every dragon boat participant realize the significance of unity and cooperation in the dragon boat race.

Four. participant

Although the dragon boat race is an international sports event, divided into men's and women's groups, folk activities are almost always the performance stage for young men. The flag was raised at the bow, the captain sounded the horn, the stern drummed, and Qi Xin and Qi Li rowed and struck the water, scrambling to break the waves.

Verb (short for verb) process

Dragon boat races are mainly divided into dragon raising, green picking, scenic spots, scenic spots, dragon racing, hidden dragons and scattered dragons. Traditional dragon boats are generally made of dense wood such as Kundian wood, which will burst in the sun, so they should be wrapped in wet river mud. Starting a dragon is to dig out the dragon boat buried deep in the muddy water of the river pond, wash it clean and dry it.

After the dragon boat "gets up", the first thing to do is to clean up the silt, check whether the hull is cracked or deformed, and then "tighten the keel" to make the hull tougher before oiling. Then the elder dipped a few drops of cockscomb blood with his pen and mixed it with cinnabar to make the finishing touch for the dragon boat. The faucet seems to be awakened and full of sparks; Then dip the plant branches and leaves in water and scatter them around, bringing good luck to people. This is called "dipping in dragon water".

At this time, four pots of green seedlings collected in advance have already been placed at the entrance of the ancestral hall, expressing people's expectation for a bumper harvest ... Finally, the dragon head and the dragon tail were carried out of the ancestral hall to welcome the dragon body. Amid the deafening sound of gongs and drums and firecrackers, the radial sailors boarded the dragon boat and rowed back and forth in the water several times. A series of preliminary preparations for "picking the dragon boat" were ready.