I know, I’m terribly late…

Maybe you already know it, but from June 22 to June 24 China will have 3 days of public holiday due to the traditional 🐉 Dragon Boat Festival (which traditionally falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month).

Dragon Boat Festival is one of the four top traditional Chinese festivals, along with the Spring Festival, Tomb-Sweeping Day, and Mid-Autumn Festival. In addition to the Chinese mainland, many other Asian countries and regions celebrate it.

🤔 But, why is the Dragon Boat Festival so Important?

Many believe that it is celebrated to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet and minister known for his patriotism and contributions to classical poetry, who eventually became a national hero.

However, it is evident that the Dragon Boat Festival actually came before the death of Qu Yuan. Its earliest origin is related to the 5th lunar month which was known to ancients as the “month of poison”. During the early hot days of summer, people would easily fall ill and epidemics spread. Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival was originally regarded as a traditional medical and health festival.

🎊 How do people celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival?

There are mainly two ways:

1️⃣ One is to worship the god of dragon and heroes by doing dragon boat races and eating glutinous rice dumplings or zongzi (粽子)

2️⃣ The other aims to fend off evils and keep people healthy, through activities such as bathing in herbal concoctions, hanging wormwood and calamus, and drinking realgar wine.

Did you know it? Do you want to know more?

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