Dragon Boat Festival Celebration around the World
Origin and History of Dragon Boat Festival
As a traditional festival originated from south China, the Dragon Boat Festival history in China is over 2,000 years long. People fr
om different regions hold various ideas on the festival's origin and history, and the most popular saying is the legend associated with the great poet Qu Yuan in Warring States Period (475 - 221 BC).
Hereunder is a chronology of Dragon Boat Festival origins related to celebrities in ancient China.
Totem Worshiping Activity (1.7 million years ago - the 21st century BC)
Why do we celebrate Dragon Boat Festival at the begining?
Dragon, an imaginary creature, was always a totem for ancient China, and people in old Wuyue area (present Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces in southeast China) would worship the totem on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in Prehistorical Times (1.7 million years ago - the 21st century BC).
People made boats with dragon heads and tails, and held entertainment games.
At that time, the image of dragon was closely associated with the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, on which today's Dragon Boat Festival falls. This is currently found the earliest Duanwu Festivla history.
What countries celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival?
Where is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated?
China, being the originator of the Dragon Boat Festival, celebrate the festival the most.
Due to the influence of Chinese culture, many countries in Asian like South Korea and Japan also have Dragon Boat Festival celebrations.
Moreover, the festival was introduced to Europe and America by Chinese immigrants and people there also celebrate the festival, mainly with dragon boat races.
Vietnam
Vietnam celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Their main Dragon Boat Festival celebrations are eating zongzi and driving away insects.
Parents will prepare a lot of fruits for the children and help their children wear a lucky charm weaved by colorful silk lines.
Adults will drink realgar wine and they also wipe realgar wine on their kids to help drive away inspects.
Moreover, the Vietnamese believe that eating zongzi helps to obtain good weather and a good harvest.