Yes, summer is coming.
Chinese people believe that after Dragon Boat Festival, it is the real summer time!
Dragon Boat Festival, in Chinese Mandarin called Duan Wu Jie, falls on the fifth day of the fifth month in lunar calendar.
It falls on Sunday, 8th June, this year.
Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most important festivals in
It has been celebrated sine 278 BC for the death of poet Qu Yuan.
Qu Yuan was a patriot but was refused by his emperor.
He killed himself by jumping in to
Local people, who admired him, threw food wrapped by leaves into the river to feed fish so they wouldn’t eat Qu’s body. And local people also paddled boats to search his body and scared fish away.
That is the origins of Zongzi and Dragon Boat Racing.
Zongzi is the traditional food Chinese people eat in Dragon Boat Festival.
It is normally made of glutinous rice, and it can be either sweet or savoury.
The fillings in Zongzi vary a lot.
People from different places will have different recipes but Zongzi is always wrapped by leaves and in pyramid shape.
Generally speaking, people from north prefer sweet rice dumplings and people from south prefer savoury ones.
Dragon Boat Racing is also an important activity to do in Duan Wu Jie.
People believe that it is a good luck and also easier to stand eggs straight at
Some people put five-colour-threads on their wrists on this day and take them off on the first rainy day after the festival.
It is believe that five-colour-threads will keep evil spirits away.
People also put aicao, artemisia, in front of their door to keep evil spirits away, and carry small sachet of herbs, xiang bao, to keep insects away.
The special wine called Xiong Huang is drunk on the festival day to keep away insects and snakes as well.
It is said the Xiong Huang wine is not safe to drink these days so people wipe the wine on their faces instead of drinking it.
Want to know more about the festival?
There are some more links to find out more:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/ziliao/2004-06/21/content_1536677_2.htm
http://englishclub.99-00.yy2.edu.hk/li_fes_4.html
http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/festival/dragonboat/dragon.html
http://shanghaiist.com/2006/05/30/happy_duan_wu_j.php
You are all welcome to share your individual experience of Dragon Boat Festival with me.
I was going to make some rice dumplings with friends but some accidents happened to my boyfriend and my friend's husband...
I am afraid that we have to delay our plans.
I will let you know if I make some and show you the photos of my home made dumplings.
Wish everyone a very nice Duan Wu Jie!
Cindy
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