Dragon Boat Festival
端午节
duānwǔjié

Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. This holiday is said to be in memory of Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was an ancient poet in the state of Chu in the Zhou Dynasty. Qu served in high offices under the king but opposed the king allying with the state of Qin. Qu was then banished because of his oppositions. At this time, he wrote the bulk of his poetry. Twenty-eight years later, Qin conquered the Chu. Qu threw himself in the Miuo River of the fifth day of the fifth month. The local people who admired him threw food in the river to feed the fish so they would not eat his body. They also paddled out in boats splashing to scare the fish away. This is where the tradition of throwing sticky rice into the river and racing Dragon Boats originated. On this day Dragon Boats are races, people throw sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the river, and drink rice wine. From 2008, Dragon Boat Festival becomes a public holiday in China.

农历五月初五，俗称“端午节，是中国汉族人民的传统节日。有关端午节由来的众多说法中，为人们所普遍接受的说法是为了纪念爱国诗人屈原。屈原是一位出身贵族的贤士，深受楚王的信任，然而他因反对楚国和秦国结盟的政治主张而遭驱逐。在流放期间，屈原创作了许多经典的诗歌作品。当秦国攻陷楚国后，屈原为祖国的灭亡悲痛不已，最终他在五月初五这一天抱石投汨罗江而死。投江以后，当地人民便驾舟奋力营救，演变到后来便有了赛龙舟的习俗；又说人们常放食品到水中祭奠屈原，唯恐为蛟龙所食，便用楝树叶包饭，做成后来的粽子模样。因而便有了现在人们在端午节这天吃粽子，赛龙舟的习俗。至今端午节仍是中国人民一个十分盛行的隆重节日。从2008年起端午节还成为中国的法定节假日。