The Dragon Boat Festival: Customs and Festivities
Dragon Boat Festival
The Chinese tradition of the Dragon Boat Festival falls each year on the 5th day of the 5th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. This year, that day falls June 9th, and the festivities will last until June 12th. On these days, the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, will be celebrated throughout the world.
Dragon Boat Festival Historical Background
The Dragon Boat Festival has many stories of origin, however, the most popular tale is that of Qu Yuan, a poet and loyal official of the state of Chu during China’s Warring States Period. According to the legend, Qu Yuan was slandered and accused of treason during his term as a Chu official. Because of the rumors about him, he was imprisoned by the king he served for many years. While in prison, he wrote numerous poems about his love and devotion for his country. Finally, when the state of Qin conquered Chu, he supposedly, completely distraught from the news that his state had been defeated, decided to commit suicide by drowning himself.
Local people, saddened by the death of the loyal Qu Yuan, rowed along the river in search of his body. Despite their efforts, they were never able to find him. In order to preserve his body, the local people continued to paddle up the river for many years, hitting their paddles on the water and beating drums to scare away any evil spirits.
Customs of the Dragon Boat Festival
The two major traditions of the Dragon Boat Festival are dragon boat racing and eating zongzi.
Dragon boats are thusly named due to the boats being crafted and decorated to look like a Chinese dragon. During the dragon boat races which are held in celebration of the holiday, a crew of anywhere from 20-30 individuals will work together on a single dragon boat. This crew will paddle the boat several hundred meters in an effort to surpass other crews and win the race. It is typically thought that the winning crew will have a year of happiness and good fortune. Today, dragon boat racing has become a globally-renowned competition that requiring crews to train rigorously year-round and attracting large crowds of spectators.
The traditional Chinese zongzi is a type of pyramidal-shaped dumpling filled with glutinous rice and a variety of sweet and savory fillings (including red bean paste, pork, etc.) typically wrapped in bamboo leaves. Often, the preparation of the zongzi can differ based on the region of China they are made in. However, no matter where there are made, they are always consumed during the celebration of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Where Can You See Dragon Boat Races?
As previously mentioned, dragon boat races are conducted worldwide. One of the biggest and most-renowned Dragon Boat Festival races takes place in Hong Kong on the Victoria Harbor. Here, champion teams gather to race one another as more than 30,000 spectators gather to watch while enjoying music, entertainment, and of course, zongzi.
In addition to being able to watch these races in Hong Kong and other cities throughout China, dragon boat races have also made their way to the United States. Some of the most popular locations in the U.S. for dragon boat races include Boston, New York, and San Francisco. If you would like to find out if there are any dragon boat races near you, you can visit the United States Dragon Boat Federation website to view locations and dates.
