The rowers would row in the direction of the rice fields where the rice had recently been transplanted. Yet another possible origin is that the ceremony was used to mimic answers visiting and helping the rice harvest.īoat rowers and dragon boat were believed to represent deceased ancestors and the mighty water dragon, respectively. They may also have been held to honor the Dragon God, who was in charge of rivers and rainfall, so as to ensure a bountiful harvest of rice. It believed that dragon boat races were held to commemorate the search for Qu Yuan, who drowned in the river. There are several possible origins for the dragon boat races. You can celebrate Dragon Boat Festival by doing these activities. As a fun cultural and scientific activity, why not trying balancing an egg to see who will have good luck this year. It is believed that since this is the summer solstice (according to the Chinese lunar calendar), the egg may be able to stand upright due to special solar power. There are practically as many styles of zongzi as there are villages in China, so I would recommend checking out a few different zongzi recipes online to see which one sounds the most appetizing for you! As for my personal favorite, I’m rather partial to zongzi stuffed with red bean paste and sprinkled with sugar – so delicious! Balance EggsĪccording to folklore, those who can balance an egg at noon on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival will have good luck for the rest of the year.

This center is enclosed by a healthy portion of glutinous rice, which is in turn wrapped in bamboo leaves and tied with twine ( some people recommend colored twine, but I’ve seen many people use white butcher twine). Zongzi can be filled with sweet bean paste, peanuts, meats, shrimp, mushrooms or any other number of delectable fillings. The specific shape and filling for zongzi vary from region to region, but you’re most likely to see zongzi that are shaped like pyramids. Make ZongziĪrguably the most iconic aspect of the Dragon Boat Festival (after the dragon boats, of course) is zongzi, a type of snack involving rice, bamboo leaves, and various fillings. After obeying Qu Yuan’s orders, the fisherman always caught nets and nets of fish (Simonds, Swartz, and the Children’s Museum, Boston Stepanchuk). Qu Yuan asked that the fisherman send him rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and wrapped in black, green, red, yellow, and white strings (in order to scare away the dragon). On the third day, the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared to the fisherman, telling him that the dragon who dwelt in the river was eating all of the rice. The same thing happened for two days again. The fisherman didn’t catch any fish but did hear someone call out that it was hungry.

Yet another account says that one day, there was a fisherman who threw rice into the river to catch some fish (or for River God, depending on who is telling the story). They then threw rice into the river so that fish would eat the rice and leave Qu Yuan in peace.Īnother account says that the villagers threw rice into the river for Qu Yuan’s soul to enjoy. One legend says that villagers where Qu Yuan was banished got into boats and looked for Qu Yuan in the river, with no success. This is where the narrative diverges more significantly. Greatly saddened, Qu Yuan composed a famous poem called the Lament on Encountering sorrow while walking along a river, and disappeared (some accounts list Qu Yuan as choosing to end his life by drowning) (Stepanchuk and Wong Simonds, Swartz, and the Children’s Museum, Boston). One day, Qu Yuan heard that his beloved kingdom’s capital city had been destroyed in war (another version says that he one day realized that both escaping and returning to his kingdom were impossible while looking at his home from a dragon boat). In exile for many decades, Qu Yuan wrote numerous poems about his love for his country (Stepanchuk and Wong Simonds, Swartz, and the Children’s Museum, Boston). They convinced the king to banish Qu Yuan from the kingdom. Qu Yuan was lauded as a very intelligent and fair man, but his fellow ministers disapproved of his policies. Most legends agree that Qu Yuan (pronounced Chew Yewen) was a minister in one of China’s ancient kingdoms. There are slight variations for the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival, but all tell more or less the same tale of Qu Yuan, one of China’s earliest poets. How Did the Dragon Boat Festival Originate?

Earliest origin of midautumn festival