Rice balls commemorate drowned poet
The Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, commemorates the death of Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet who drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month, when ancient Chu State was occupied by enemies in 278 BC.
For the people of Zigui county, Hubei province, which is Qu’s hometown, the holiday is more important than Lunar New Year.
The most popular activity during the festival is racing dragon boats, which symbolically represent attempts made by local people to rescue and recover Qu’s body. Zigui also holds races on days 13, 14, and 15 of the fifth month, and the activity is welcomed by people in South China, which abounds in lakes and rivers. Sacrifice and evocation ceremonies in memory of Qu are also held.
Another tradition is the preparation and consumption of zongzi, a traditional dumpling made from glutinous rice, stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo, reed, or other large flat leaves.
According to legend, when Qu’s body could not be found, local people dropped balls of sticky rice into river so that the fish would eat them, rather than the poet’s body. Several types of zongzi are eaten during the festival to symbolize the rice offerings to Qu.
People in North China enjoy zongzi with dates, while southerners prefer a range of ingredients, such as meat, sausages, and eggs. The custom is not only popular in China, but also in South Korea, Japan, zongzi and some Southeast Asian countries.
On the day of the festival, children are bathed with water that has sat in the sunshine for a long time, or wear homemade bags of incense as a way of washing away sin.
The incense bags are usually made from a variety of sewn bags and include powders made from calamus, wormwood, realgar and other fragrant plants and minerals.
People often hang calamus and wormwood leaves on their doors and windows to repel insects and flies, and to dispel evil and bring health to family members, especially children.
In Zigui, the 15 th day of the fifth lunar month is called the Major Dragon Boat Festival, while the 25 th is called the Late Dragon Boat Festival. On these days, people eat zongzi and drink calamus wine.
Zhou Lihua and Zhu Jingwen contributed to this story.