The Dragon Boat Festival 端午节

农历五月初五为端午节，端午节的第一个意义就是纪念历史上伟大的民族诗人屈原。端午节是我国二千多年的旧习俗，每到这一天，家家户户都悬钟馗像，挂艾叶菖蒲，赛龙舟，吃粽子，饮雄黄酒，游百病，佩香囊，备牲醴。
The customs vary a lot in different areas of the country, but most of the families would hang the picture of Zhong Kui (a ghost that can exorcise), calamus and moxa in their houses. People have Dragon Boat Races, eat Zong Zi (dumpling made of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves) and carry a spice bag around with them. 

What do we eat？

Zong zi粽子

“粽包分两髻，艾束著危冠。旧俗方储药，羸躯亦点丹。”端午节不可不吃的美味食物就是tsung-tse（粽子），这种传统源于汨罗江边的渔夫，将米丢入江中平息江中的蛟龙，希望它们不要伤害屈原。
粽子tsung- tse：Glutinous rice（糯米）filled with meat, nuts or bean paste（豆酱dòu jiànɡ）and wrapped in bamboo leaves. It is associated with Dragon Boat Festival with historical meaning.The custom of eating tsung-tse is also popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.

What do we drink？

realgar wine 雄黄酒

“樱桃桑椹与菖蒲，更买雄黄酒一壶。”端午节尝试一下雄黄酒吧。端午节这天，人们把雄黄倒入酒中饮用，并把雄黄酒涂在小孩儿的耳、鼻、额头、手、足等处，希望这样可以使孩子们不受蛇虫的伤害。
It is a very popular practice to drink this kind of Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar at the Dragon Boat Festival. This is for protection from evil and disease for the rest of the year.


What do we play？

Dragon boat racing 赛龙舟

“鼓声三下红旗开，两龙跃出浮水来。棹影斡波飞万剑，鼓声劈浪鸣千雷。”端午节最应景的节目就是赛龙舟。
Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. As the gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars harmoniously and hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums, speeding toward their destination.


What do we hang？

端午节最有特色的饰物就是香包（sachet）。小孩佩戴香包，传说有避邪驱瘟之意。用含有多种香味的药用植物做成的香包也可以预防疾病。
On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their children up with a sachet. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines（草药）, and finally string them with silk threads. The sachet will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able to ward off evil.

 

端午节特色词汇：

端午节duān wǔ jié： the Dragon Boat Festival
粽子zònɡ zi ： zongzi/tsung-tse/rice dumpling
糯米nuò mǐ ：glutinous rice
赛龙舟 sài lónɡzhōu ： Dragon boat racing
雄黄酒xiónɡ huánɡ jiǔ：realgar wine
香包 xiānɡ bāo： perfumed medicine bag/sachet
驱邪qū xié ：ward off evil
祛病qū bìnɡ ：ward off disease