Speaking of traditional Chinese festivals, I believe many people only know Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, National Day, Qingming Festival and other legal festivals . After all, we can rest on statutory holidays, which is also a "reward" for our long-term hard work. However, when it comes to Dragon Boat Festival, we only know that we need to eat rice dumplings on Dragon Boat Festival, which is also to commemorate our ancestors Qu Yuan . However, how much do you know about its specific origins and some customs? Next, let's learn about it.
According to traditional customs, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the Dragon Boat Festival, which is a traditional festival of our Chinese nation and an important festival in my country's traditional cultural customs. There are also many customs on this day, but we all know that the Dragon Boat Festival is a festival for eating rice dumplings, but we know very little about the origin and customs of the Dragon Boat Festival. Let me introduce in detail the origin and customs of the Dragon Boat Festival to see how much you know.
We all know that eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Qu Yuan, but why eat zongzi? What is the relationship between Zongzi and Qu Yuan? In fact, its origin is mainly like this. It is understood that on May 5, 278 BC, the Qin general, Bai Qi, led his army to attack the Empress of Chucheng. At that time, after hearing the news, Qu Yuan was very upset. After he wrote a famous book "Huaisha", he then jumped into the Miluo River and devoted himself to the motherland to show his loyalty.
After Qu Yuan jumped into the river, the local people were very loyal to the country. In order to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, they did not allow the fish and shrimps in the water to eat Qu Yuan's body, so they threw various ingredients such as glutinous rice, salted eggs, and meat into the river to attract their attention. As time goes by and customs evolve, it has evolved into the Dragon Boat Festival. Nowadays, people package food into rice dumplings to commemorate their ancestor Qu Yuan. This is the origin of eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival and commemorating Qu Yuan. I wonder if it's the same as you think?
However, eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival is only one of the customs. In addition, there are some customs, such as dragon boat racing , eating eggs, hanging mugwort, mulberry soup, sprinkling realgar , carrying vanilla bag, colorful rope , drawing forehead, etc. Let me give you a brief introduction. At the beginning of the dragon boat racing, the canoe canoe was engraved with the fragrance of rice gliding on the water. According to historical records, there was dragon boat as early as the Warring States era. On the Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat racing is just for sacrifice, praying for good weather and good harvests in the coming year. So far, it has gradually developed into an international competition.
wormwood was on May 5th. People will pick some fresh mugwort and hang it on doors and windows. The purpose is to use the natural volatile oil of mugwort to detoxify insects and evil spirits. Of course, some people specialize in making mugwort, which can also play the same role at home. Sprinkle realgar with it. Realgar and white wine are used to make realgar wine . On Dragon Boat Festival, realgar wine is sprinkled in the corner of the yard and placed around the house. The purpose is to use the pungent odors produced by white wine and male flowers to drive away insects and snakes and protect the safety of the family.
Basically, these are all for prayer. I won't explain much to you here. Our main purpose is to understand the origins of these traditional festivals. As a festival that has been passed down for thousands of years, in addition to inheriting and promoting the precious national spirit of our ancestors, we also have the responsibility and obligation to keep them passed on.
According to " Records of the Grand Historian ", Qu Yuan was a minister of King Huai of Chu in the Spring and Autumn Period. He advocated using talents to enrich the country and strengthen the army, and advocated joint resistance to the Qin Dynasty. He was strongly opposed by the nobles, , zilan and others. Qu Yuan was greedy for resignation, and was exiled to the Yuanxiang River Basin. During his exile, he created immortal poems such as " Lisao ", " Tianwen ", and "Nine Songs". These poems care about the country and the people, have unique styles and far-reaching influence (so, the Dragon Boat Festival is also called " Poet's Day ). In 278 BC, the Qin army captured the capital of Chu State. Qu Yuan was heartbroken when he saw his motherland being invaded, but he couldn't bear to give up his motherland.On May 5, after writing his last work, Huaisha, he threw a stone into the Miluo River and died, writing a magnificent patriotic movement with his life.
It is said that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu were very sad and rushed to the Miluo River to mourn Qu Yuan. Fishermen rowed back and forth on the river to rescue his body. A fisherman took out the rice balls, eggs and other food prepared for Qu Yuan and threw them into the river, "plop, plop". He said that if the ichthyosaurs, shrimps and crabs were all full, they would not bite Dr. Qu's body. People followed suit. An old doctor took a jar of realgar wine and poured it into the river. He said he wanted to use medicine to hit the faint dragon and water animals to avoid harming Dr. Qu. Later, fearing that these rice balls would be eaten by dragons, people came up with the idea of wrapping rice with neem leaves, wrapped in colorful silk, and then growing brown seeds. Later, on May 5 every year, there was a custom of racing dragon boats, eating rice dumplings, and drinking realgar wine; commemorating the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
2, Dragon Boat Festival customs
Chinese people solemnly celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, with various celebrations. More common activities include the following forms:
Dragon Boat Racing :
Dragon Boat Racing is the main custom of Dragon Boat Festival. It is said that it originated from the ancient Chu people, who were unwilling to separate from the moral government and Qu Yuan and died in the river. Many row to catch up and save. They rushed to the front and disappeared when they arrived at Dongting Lake. After that, we commemorate it on May 5th of each year. Use dragon boats to disperse the fish in the river to avoid eating Qu Yuan's body. Horse racing is very popular in Wu Yuechu.
In fact, the "Dragon Boat Race" existed as early as , the Warring States Period, . Draw a dragon-shaped canoe in the drums and perform a race to entertain God and the people This is a semi-religious and semi-entertainment sacrificial program. Later, in addition to commemorating Qu Yuan, people around the world also gave different meanings to dragon boat competitions.
Dragon boat racing in Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions is of great significance to commemorating Qiu Jin, a modern female democratic revolutionary who was born and raised. On the dragon boat at night, there are lanterns and decorations, shuttle back and forth on and down the water. This scene is both moving and fun. The Miao people in Guizhou held the Dragon Boat Festival from May 25th to 28th of the lunar calendar to celebrate the successful transplantation of rice and wish for a good harvest. Dai compatriots in Yunnan raced dragon boats on Water Splashing Festival to commemorate the ancient hero Yan Hongwo. Legends about dragon boat racing vary by ethnicity and region. So far, in many southern regions close to rivers, lakes and oceans, dragon boat competitions with their own characteristics are held every year during the Dragon Boat Festival.
In the 29th year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1736), a dragon boat competition began. At that time, Taiwan’s governor Jiang Yuanjun hosted a friendly match at the Half Moon Pond of Fahua Temple in Tainan City. Now, the dragon boat competition is held in Taiwan every year on May 5. In Hong Kong, there are also competitions.
In addition, neighboring countries such as Japan, Vietnam and the United Kingdom have also introduced dragon boat sports. In 1980, dragon boat racing was included in China's national sports events, and the "Qu Yuan Cup" dragon boat racing was held every year. On June 16, 1991 (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), the first International Dragon Boat Festival was held in Yueyang City, Hunan Province, Qu Yuan's second hometown. The Dragon Boat Festival was held before the game, which not only retained the traditional rituals but also injected new modern factors. "Dragon Head" was carried into Quzi Temple. After the athlete "red" the leader, the chief pastor reads the sacrifice and "lights" the leader (i.e. lights up). Afterwards, all those who participated in the Dragon Boat Festival bowed three times, carried the dragon head to Guluo River, and ran towards the dragon boat race . This time, more than 600,000 people participated in competitions, trade fairs and gatherings, which was unprecedented. Since then, Hunan Province has regularly held the International Dragon Boat Festival. The dragon boat race will be well known all over the world.
The following introduces the various customs of the Dragon Boat Festival in detail
1, Dragon Boat Festival dumplings
0 Eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival is another traditional custom of the Chinese. Zongzi, also known as "dumplings" and "tube dumplings". It has a long history and diverse shapes.
According to records, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, rice was wrapped in wild rice leaves (茭花花) and formed a ox horn shape, called "horn"; rice wrapped in bamboo tubes was sealed and baked, and was called "tube branch". At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, millet was soaked in plant ash water.Because the water contains alkali, millet is wrapped in quadrilaterals by wild rice leaves and cooked into Guangdong alkaline water dumplings.
In the Jin Dynasty, zongzi was officially designated as food for the Dragon Boat Festival. At this time, in addition to glutinous rice, the raw materials for the rice dumplings also added Chinese medicine Yizhiren . Cooked rice dumplings are called "Yizhi Sect". According to the "Yueyang Customs Chronicles" written by the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, "Wrap millet with wild rice leaves...cook them, and then eat them from May 5th to the summer solstice. One rice dumpling and one millet." During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, there were mixed rice dumplings. Mix rice with meat, chestnuts, red dates, red beans and , etc., and the variety increases. Zongzi is also a gift for communication.
Tang Dynasty rice used in rice dumplings is "white as jade", with a conical shape and rhombus. Japanese documents record "Son of Emperor Tang". In the Song Dynasty, there was "candied dumplings", which meant that fruit was added to the dumplings. The poet Su Dongpo wrote a poem "When I saw bayberry in the rice dumplings." At this time, there were also advertisements of piled up rice dumplings on pavilions, wooden carts, and ox horses, indicating that eating rice dumplings in the Song Dynasty was very fashionable. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, the packaging materials for zongzi were changed from wild rice leaves to soft leaves. Later, the rice dumplings wrapped in reed leaves appeared. Additional ingredients include bean paste, pork, pine nuts, , dates, walnuts, etc. The variety is more colorful.
Until today, at the beginning of May every year, Chinese people have to soak glutinous rice, wash rice dumpling leaves, and wrap rice dumplings. Their designs and varieties are more diverse. In terms of fillings, there are more red dates in the north in Beijing; there are fillings such as bean paste, fresh meat, ham, egg yolk, etc. in the south, among which are represented by rice dumplings from Jiaxing, Zhejiang. The custom of eating rice dumplings has been popular in China for thousands of years and has spread to South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian countries.
2. Perfume bag:
On the Dragon Boat Festival, the children wear sachets. It is said that it means to ward off evil spirits and drive away plague. In fact, it is used to decorate the lapel. This fragrance contains herbs of cinnabar, realgar and aromatic. It is wrapped in silk. The fragrance is everywhere. Then make it with five-color silk thread . It is made into a string of different shapes. The shape is exquisite and cute.
3, Acorus granulum :
As the saying goes, "Put it into the willows on the Qingming Festival, and plant it in the Dragon Boat Festival." During the Dragon Boat Festival, people regard mugwort and calamus as one of the important contents. Every household cleans the yard, puts acorn and wormwood sticks on the door's eyebrows, and hangs them in the hall. Also use calamus, mugwort, mugwort leaves, durian, garlic, dragon boat flowers, etc., in shape or tiger shape, called mugwort and mugwort tiger; they are made into garlands and decorations. They are beautiful and fragrant. Women compete to wear it to drive away miasma .
Ai, also known as Ai and Ai Hao. Its stems and leaves contain volatile aromatic oil . Its unique fragrance can drive away mosquitoes, flies, insects and ants and purify the air. In traditional Chinese medicine, mugwort is used as a drug to regulate qi and blood, warm the uterus, and remove cold and dampness. mugwort leaves is processed into " mugwort ", which is an important moxibustion medicinal material.
Acorus is a perennial aquatic herb. Its long and narrow leaves also contain volatile aromatic oils. It is a drug that can refresh the mind, unblock orifices, strengthen bones, remove blood stasis, kill insects and sterilize.
It can be seen from this that the ancients had certain anti-disease effects when inserting mugwort and calamus. Dragon Boat Festival is also a "health festival" passed down since ancient times. On this day, people sweep the yard, hang mugwort branches, hang calamus , sprinkle realgar water, drink realgar wine, stimulate turbidity, eliminate corruption, and sterilize bacteria and prevent diseases. These activities also reflect the fine traditions of the Chinese nation. Collecting herbs on Dragon Boat Festival is a common custom of all ethnic groups in China.
How much do you know about the origin and customs of the Dragon Boat Festival? Everyone is welcome to leave comments in the comment area.
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