What traditional activities are experienced during the Dragon Boat Festival in China?

Grab the zongzi, the angular rice ball, the realgar wine, the Zhong Kui or Chung Kuei figure, the mugwort or calamus, an egg to stand at noon and jump into a dragon boat for the big race, it's the Dragon Boat Festival in China.

The Dragon Boat Festival, otherwise known Duanwu, Duan Yang or Solar Maximus Festival, occurs on May 28, 2009 and on June 16, 2010. But why the difference in dates? Dragon Boat Festival dashes into the Chinese calender (which follows the Luna calender) on the fifth day of the fifth month each year resulting in date flexibility. Another title used for this day is the Double Fifth.

Note: Duanwu is also spelled Duan Wu.

Traditional Activities:

Zongzi - - A traditional Chinese food made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings as it is wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. This traditional Dragon Boat Festival delight can be steamed or boiled. Zongzi is also spelled zong zi.

Most Chinese people call zongzi rice dumplings, however, Japan has another name for it, chimaki. The Western world calls this treat a Chinese tamale. All in all, this Chinese food tradition is shared during the Dragon Boat Festival in China.

The Zongzi Legend:

278 BC - - Qu Yuan had passion when warning the kingdom of Chu of their neighboring Qin Dynasty. Unfortunately this patriot and poet had been ignored or not enough to make a change as this resulted in Qu Yuan committing suicide by way of drowning in the Miluo river.

Sounds fishy to me as the story behind the legend remains that people spread rice in the waters to divert the fish from eating Qu Yuan's lifeless body.

The other legend speaks of the same situation, the same outcome, but a different place with different names. This time the patriot was Wu Zixu and the place was the state of Wu. It was said that king Fuchai forced Wu Zixu to commit suicide by drowning him in the river as the people placed rice into the water to divert the fish from eating Wu's lifeless body.

Reenactments are said to not be conducted within the waters to see if fish do prefer rice over bodies. We have to assume no matter who it was, the fish were diverted by rice in ancient China. However, who it was is important as some celebrate both Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu as a combination of honor rather than honoring just one.

Is zongzi still tossed into rivers? No, zongzi is best eaten by all those celebrating at the Dragon Boat Festival.

Angular

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