May 28 (May 5 in lunar year)Dragon Boat Festival (端午節)
Dragon Boat Festival is a Chinese traditional holiday. It is a public holiday in mainland China and Taiwan, where it is called the "Duanwu Jie".
The Duanwu Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. In 2009, this falls on May 28. The focus of the celebrations includes eating zongzi, (please see the picture) which are large rice wraps, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.
The Duanwu Festival occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar. In 2009, this falls on May 28. The focus of the celebrations includes eating zongzi, (please see the picture) which are large rice wraps, drinking realgar wine, and racing dragon boats.
Origins:
The Duanwu Festival is believed to have originated in ancient China. There are a number folk traditions, the best and most widely known legend relates to the suicide of Qu Yuan, a scholar and minister to the King of Chu for worring about the country's situation, in 278 BC an era in Chinese history that is referred to as the Warring States period. Qu Yuan is commonly referred to as a "poet" and a "statesperson", however he is more properly considered as a ministerial scholar.
The Duanwu Festival is believed to have originated in ancient China. There are a number folk traditions, the best and most widely known legend relates to the suicide of Qu Yuan, a scholar and minister to the King of Chu for worring about the country's situation, in 278 BC an era in Chinese history that is referred to as the Warring States period. Qu Yuan is commonly referred to as a "poet" and a "statesperson", however he is more properly considered as a ministerial scholar.
Wow, I did not know that the celebration was originally from China! In Japan, we celebrate the day, on the 5th of May, as a 'Children's day' with floating the carp shaped flags outside the house, and the sweets you menthioned. I think the origins of the carps may be a dragon in Chinese tradition...but somehow the icon has been changing to the carps in Japan!
ReplyDeleteby the way, what are the inside of rice wraps?? These look so yummy! We have rice wraps with sweet red beans.
That's interesting! I didn’t know you celebrate it in Japan too. It's called Dragon-boat festival,so racing dragon-boat is quite traditional.Since Qu yuan jumped into Miluo River,people made zongzi and dropped them into water in a way to memorize him. That's how the food originated. We have all kinds of fillings, such as sweetened bean paste, pork, yolk from salted egg, honey date and chestnut. I made some last year! It was time-consuming though, since it's the first time I make it. My mum makes great zongzi!
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