What are the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of May?
When talking about the Dragon Boat Festival, the first thing that comes to people’s mind is “eating rice dumplings and dragon boat racing”. In fact, the customs that have evolved over the 5,000 years of Chinese history are far more than just these. As the annual Dragon Boat Festival approaches, let us draw aside the long curtain of time and appreciate the charm that this traditional Chinese festival brings us.Dragon Boat RacingWhen talking about the Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat racing is naturally the first thing that comes to mind. Every Dragon Boat Festival, dragon boat races are held all over the country, with the sound of gongs and drums and the excitement of the day. Dragon boat racing tests the team's ability to collaborate and work together, which is why it is so popular among people all over the world. As for the origin of dragon boat racing, it is said that after Qu Yuan jumped into the river, people rushed to rescue him by boat and started loud gongs and drums to drive away the fish and shrimps around him. Since then, people have held the custom of dragon boat racing on May 5th every year.With sachetIn ancient times, people had the tradition of giving each other sachets during the Dragon Boat Festival. According to legend, sachets were meant to ward off evil spirits and plague, but in reality they were used to decorate lapels, so most of the recipients were children. The raw materials in sachets vary, and traditional sachets are mostly made of cinnabar, realgar, and fragrant medicine. When worn on the body, they will emit a strong fragrance and are loved by women. Today, with the improvement of craftsmanship, sachets have become more exquisite. In some parts of China, young men and women even use sachets as tokens of love, which is extremely romantic.Hanging mugwortThere is a folk saying that goes "Plant willows on Qingming Festival and hang mugwort on Dragon Boat Festival", which shows how much people value this custom. In some parts of China, every household hangs mugwort on the Dragon Boat Festival. They insert calamus and mugwort sticks on the door lintels and hang them in the hall. According to folk belief, it has the effect of warding off evil spirits and avoiding disasters. The custom of hanging mugwort during the Dragon Boat Festival is also recorded in "History Books": "Planting mugwort during the Dragon Boat Festival", "Holding mugwort flags to invite blessings", "Hanging on the door to remove poisonous air"; these activities embody people's beautiful vision of mugwort, and the hope that through mugwort, they can drive away evil spirits and avoid harm, and have good fortune and health.Tie five-colored silk threadThe Chinese are particularly particular about the use of colors. Traditionally, "white" is used for funerals and "red" is used for weddings. But they particularly admire the five colors and consider them auspicious colors. The colorful silk threads made for the Dragon Boat Festival are called "longevity threads". On the morning of the festival, the first thing adults do after getting up is to tie longevity threads on their children. It is also particularly particular about wearing. Children should not speak while wearing it, and it cannot be broken or discarded at will. It can only be thrown into the river during the first heavy rain in summer or the first bath. According to tradition, the Dragon Boat Festival is the time when poisonous insects are most active, and wearing a longevity thread can protect children from poison. |
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