Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, we eat zongzi. The ancients called this day the Dragon Boat Festival. The Dragon Boat Festival originated in China, and the famous patriotic poet Qu Yuan died on this day. Therefore, Chinese Han people regard this day as a traditional festival to commemorate Qu Yuan. What month is the Dragon Boat Festival this year? Who is the Dragon Boat Festival set up to commemorate?
The Dragon Boat Festival is the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, Wuri Festival, May Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Yulan Festival, etc. It is a traditional cultural festival popular in China and other countries in the circle of Chinese character culture,
The Dragon Boat Festival originated in China. It was originally a festival for curing diseases and preventing epidemics. Before the spring and Autumn period, there was the custom of holding tribal totem sacrifice in the form of dragon boat race on the fifth day of the fifth month of the fifth lunar month. Later, because the poet Qu Yuan threw himself to the Miluo River to die, it became a traditional festival for Chinese to commemorate Qu Yuan. In some areas, there are also some sayings to commemorate Wu Zixu and Cao E.
Since ancient times, the Dragon Boat Festival has been eating rice dumplings and drinking realgar for a long time. Under the influence of Chinese culture, the Mid Autumn Festival is also a traditional festival of Chinese characters culture circle countries and overseas Chinese all over the world.
Since 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival has been listed as a national legal holiday. In May 2006, the State Council listed it in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list. In September 2009, UNESCO officially reviewed and approved China's Dragon Boat Festival to be listed as a world intangible cultural heritage, becoming China's first festival to be listed as a world intangible cultural heritage.
What is the date of the Dragon Boat Festival in 2019
As can be seen from the calendar above, the time of the Dragon Boat Festival in 2019 is Friday, June 7, 2019.
Who does the Dragon Boat Festival commemorate
There are many theories about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, among which the theory of commemorating Qu Yuan has the most extensive influence.
1. In memory of Qu Yuan
According to historical records, Qu Yuan was a minister of King Huai of Chu in the spring and Autumn period. He advocated giving talents and powers, enriching the country and strengthening the army, and advocated uniting Qi against Qin Dynasty. He was strongly opposed by the noble Zi Lan and others. Qu Yuan was driven out of the capital and exiled to yuan and Xiang river basins. In his exile, he wrote immortal poems such as Lisao, Tianwen and Jiuge, which are concerned about the country and the people. They have unique style and far-reaching influence (therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival is also called the poet's day). In 278 BC, the Qin army conquered the capital of Chu. Seeing his motherland invaded, Qu Yuan was heartbroken, but he could not 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, composing a magnificent patriotic movement with his life.
It is said that after Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu state were extremely sad and rushed to the Miluo River to pay homage to him. The fishermen rowed their boats up and down the river to retrieve his real body. A fisherman took out rice balls, eggs and other food prepared for Qu Yuan and threw them 'plop, plop' into the river, saying that when the fish, dragons, shrimps and crabs were 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 that he wanted the medicine to stun the dragon and water beast so as not to hurt doctor Qu. Later, for fear that the rice dumpling would be eaten by Jiaolong, people came up with the idea of wrapping rice with neem leaves and wrapping it with colored silk to develop into brown seeds.
Later, on the fifth day of May every year, there was the custom of dragon boat race, eating zongzi and drinking realgar wine to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
2. In memory of Wu Zixu
Related characters in the origin legend of the Dragon Boat Festival: Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu
The second legend of the Dragon Boat Festival, which is widely spread in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, commemorates Wu Zixu in the spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC). Wu Zixu was a famous member of the state of Chu. His father and brother were all killed by the king of Chu. Later, he abandoned the secret and turned to the light. He rushed to the state of Wu to help Wu conquer Chu. After five wars, he entered Yingcheng, the capital of Chu. At that time, King Ping of Chu was dead. Zixu dug the tomb and whipped the corpse for 300 yuan to avenge his father and brother. After the death of Helu, the king of Wu, his son Fucha succeeded to the throne. The morale of Wu army was high and the state of Yue was defeated. Gou Jian, the king of Yue, asked for peace and Fucha promised it. Zixu suggested that the state of Yue should be completely eliminated. Fu Chai didn't listen to it. Wu Dazai was bribed by Yue and slandered Zixu. Fu Chai believed it and gave Zixu a sword, which made Zixu die. Before his death, Zixu said to his neighbor, "after my death, I dug out my eyes and hung them on the east gate of Wu capital to watch the Yue army enter the city to destroy Wu." so he killed himself. Fu Chai was so angry that he ordered Zixu's body to be put in leather and thrown into the river on May 5. Therefore, it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also the day to commemorate Wu Zixu.
3. In memory of Cao E
The third legend of the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate Cao'e's saving her father and throwing herself into the river in the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 23-220). Cao E was born in Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river and her body was not seen for several days. At that time, Cao E, a filial daughter, was only 14 years old and cried along the river day and night. After 17 days, he also threw himself into the river on May 5, and took out his father's body five days later. This was passed down as a myth, and then it was passed down to the magistrate of the county government, who ordered Du Shang to set up a monument for it and asked his disciple Handan chun to make a eulogy.
The tomb of Cao'e, a filial daughter, was in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. Later, it was said that the stele of Cao'e was written by the king of Jin. In order to commemorate Cao E's filial piety, Cao E temple was built at the place where Cao E threw herself into the river. The village she lived in was renamed Cao E Town, and the place where Cao E died for her father was named Cao E river. Therefore, it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day to commemorate the filial daughter Cao E.
Name of Dragon Boat Festival
According to statistics, there are more than 20 names of the Dragon Boat Festival, such as Duanwu Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Chongwu Festival, Chongwu Festival, dangwuxun Festival, Tianzhong Festival, summer festival, May Festival, Changjie Festival, Pu Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Yulan Festival, Quyuan day, Wuri Festival, daughter's day, Dila Festival, poet's day, longri, Wuri, Dengjie, Wudan Festival, etc.
The Dragon Boat Festival
The word "Duan" means "initial", so "Duan 5" means "initial 5". According to the calendar, may is the 'noon' month, so the 'Duanwu' has gradually evolved into the 'Dragon Boat Festival'. According to the records of the age of Yanjing, the fifth day of the Lunar New Year is the fifth day of May, and the phonetic change of gaiduan characters is also recorded. '
Dragon Boat Festival
According to the records of Jingchu Sui Shi Ji, Shunyang is on the top of the mountain in midsummer. May is midsummer, and its first noon day is a good day for climbing and Shunyang, so it is called "Dragon Boat Festival" on the fifth day of May.
Chongwu Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is also called "Chongwu Festival" or "Chongwu Festival". In some places, it is also called "May Festival".
When the five floods
In some rural areas of Shanghai, such as Fengxian, Nanhui and other areas near the North Bank of Hangzhou Bay, it is customary to call "Duanwujie" as "dangwuxun".
Tianzhong Festival
The name comes from the number of yin and Yang. According to Tian Rucheng's "journey to the West Lake" in the Ming Dynasty, the Dragon Boat Festival is called "Tianzhong Festival" because the sun reaches the highest point at noon, especially at noon. In Japan, May 5 is regarded as the 'men's Day', which may also be based on the Tianzhong Festival, because it believes that only men inherit the spirit of heaven and earth.
Yulan Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is in midsummer, which is the season of skin diseases. The ancients used orchid soup to wash and decontaminate. "Dadaili" of the Han Dynasty says: "bathe in orchid soup in the afternoon.".
Jiezong Festival
During the Dragon Boat Festival, the ancients used to compare the length of the leaves of the rice dumplings, and the elder was the winner of the game.
Daughter's Day
Ming Shen Bang's Wan Shu Za Ji: "may daughter's day, is the Dragon Boat Festival rope, Dai AI ye, five poison talisman. Wan custom from the first day of May to the fifth day of May, as a little girl, do state extremely research. Married women also go home. Because of the call for daughter's day. '
Etiquette
In southern Hunan, along with the ancient customs, on the fifth day of May when summer comes, moxa leaves are hung on the door to wash off mosquitoes. It is believed that after baptism, malaria can be driven away and the mosquito season can be safely spent in summer.
Calamus Festival
The ancients believed that 'Chongwu' was a taboo day, when the five poisons were exhausted. Therefore, the custom of the Dragon Boat Festival was to expel evil spirits and avoid poisons, such as hanging Acorus calamus and Artemisia argyi leaves on the door. Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival was also called 'Acorus calamus Festival'.