Duan Wu Jie, or the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month. Although it was originally an agricultural festival to appease the dragon god of the river, it later became a festival to commemorate Qu Yuan, a patriot.
The Dragon
The ancients believed that a dragon controlled the rivers and the rains. Because much of China was an agricultural society, abundant rainfall was important. At the same time though, people dreaded the many floods that came their way. Hence, they appealed to the dragon god of the river to bless them with rainfall without opening the floodgates.
The ancient Chinese also worshipped their clan totems. Included among these were birds, the dog, the deer, fish, the horse and the snake. When the clans combined, their totems were also combined. Thus, the Chinese dragon possesses a dragon head, a snake's body, the mane and tail of a horse, the horns of a deer, dog paws, the scales of a fish and the ability to fly like a bird.
Soon after, the dragon became a symbol of power and hence, the emblem of the emperor. Nowadays, it is associated with success, wealth, importance and power.
Qu Yuan, the Patriotic Poet
Qu Yuan lived during the time of the Warring States in which the countries of Chu and Qin fought, in third century BC. He loyally served the king of Chu with wisdom and integrity. But his advice was rejected as the king preferred the more flattering words of corrupt men in the court. Qu Yuan was then banished from the kingdom.
Qu Yuan expressed his anger and disppointment through his poetry. With a heavy heart, he protested against the corrupt court by throwing himself into the Mi Luo River on the fifth day of the fifth month.
When word of his suicide reached the people, they raced out in their boats to scare away the fish and to find him. When they were unable to find him, they threw rice into the river as an offering to Qu Yuan.
Dragon Boat Racing
Today, Dragon Boat racing is an international event and has also become the fastest growing sport in North America. This is not surprising as mass immigration of Chinese have settled into Canada and the U.S.
The wooden boats range from forty to over a hundred feet in length. They are made up to resemble the dragon describe above and possess the roar of the drums. They are powered by up to eighty rowers, whose rowing is synchronized to the beat of the drum.
For more information on Dragon Boat racing in Canada, try the 1998 Canada Dragon Boat Racing Schedule.
Today, people eat rice dumplings, known as Zong Zi to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.
Legend has it that the spirit of Qu Yuan appeared to some fishermen, saying that the dragon god of the river had been stealing and eating rice offerings that had been meant for him. As a result, people inserted the rice into bamboo stems and closed the ends with chinaberry leaves. They then tied the ends with five-coloured threads [see below] because they believed that the dragon god was afraid of these colours. Today, rice dumplings are served as glutinous rice wrapped with bamboo leaves into pyramid shapes, and tied together with strings. Inside the glutinous rice, one may find chicken, pork, beans, as well as egg yolk.
The "Double Fifth"
The ancients were superstitious people. Because the festival fell on the fifth day of the fifth month, the number five became a significant number.
The fifth month was considered an evil month and it was an especially bad omen to be born on the fifth day. This was the month during the hot summer when the weather was most conducive to diseases brought on by the "Five Gods of Plague".
To combat against this evil, protective charms were developed. One included wearing five coloured threads or ribbons. These five colours represented the five elements (azure=wood, black=water, red=fire, white=metal, and yellow=earth). Realgar, a mineral with an odour, was burned to drive away demons.
Another charm included the method of combating evil with more evil. People would embroider the "five poisons" on clothing or stamped their images on cakes. The "five poisons" are represented by the centipede, lizard, scorpian, snake and toad.
And still yet another method included hanging a bouquet of four types of green leaves and on posy of flowers (to make five) over doorways to ward off demons. Mugwort leaves, calamus and garlic were also hung over doorways to ward off poisonous influences. And lastly, portraits of Zhong Kui, a demon-slayer, or pieces of paper with anti-demonic incantations were posted outside and around the house.