What Do People Do?
The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where many eat rice dumplings (zongzi), drink realgar wine (xionghuangjiu), and race dragon boats. Other activities include hanging icons of Zhong Kui (a mythic guardian figure), hanging mugwort and calamus, taking long walks, writing spells and wearing perfumed medicine bags.
All of these activities and games such as making an egg stand at noon were regarded by the ancients as an effective way of preventing disease, evil, while promoting good health and well-being. People sometimes wear talismans to fend off evil spirits or they may hang the picture of Zhong Kui, a guardian against evil spirits, on the door of their homes.
In the Republic of China, the festival was also celebrated as "Poets' Day" in honor of Qu Yuan, who is known as China's first poet. Chinese citizens traditionally throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water and it is also customary to eat tzungtzu and rice dumplings.
How to Celebrate Dragon Boat Festival – Top Activities & Customs
Dragon boats are thus named because the fore and stern of the boat is in a shape of traditional Chinese dragon. A team of people works the oars in a bid to reach the destination before other teams. One team member sits at the front of the boat beating a drum in order to maintain morale and ensure that the rowers keep in time with one another. Now it has turned to be a sport event not only held in China, but also observed in Japan, Vietnam, USA, Canada and UK, etc.
2. Eating Zongzi
Zongzi is a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in reed leaves. It has various fillings. In north China, people favor the jujubes as the filling, while the south sweetened bean paste, fresh meat, or egg yolk. Nowadays, Zongzi already becomes a common food, which can be easily found in supermarkets and food stores. However, some families still retain the tradition to make Zongzi on the festival day.
3. Hanging Calamus and Wormwood
It is said that hanging wormwood leaves on the door can protect people living inside from diseases. Calamus leaves look like swords; they are hung to ward off evil spirits. From a scientific point of view, the Dragon Boat Festival falls in hot summer, which breeds germs easily and pests and other poisonous animals are active; both wormwood and calamus give off special fragrance, which can clean the air and drive out mosquitoes and insects, thus help people staying away from diseases and epidemics.
4. Wearing Perfume Pouches
This custom has the same purpose with hanging calamus and wormwood, as the pouches are always filled with Chinese herbal medicines which can repel pests and other poisonous animals. Nowadays, it is more popular among children and the pouches are made into various shapes, including the traditional zongzi pattern, various animals, gourd, pumpkin and flowers.
5. Pasting Portrait of Zhong Kui
Zhong Kui was a very ugly guy who is responsible for driving out evil spirits. On the festival, people paste his portrait on the door or hang it in the room to protect their house.
Besides, there are some customs popular in certain areas, including tiring five-color silk necklace, bracelet, and anklet; drinking realgar wine; bathing with herbal water; bathing in the water where dragon boat race was held; fetching water at noon; and picking up herbal medicines.