Today, I would like to write about the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival which was held on May 5th of the Chinese lunar calendar year. In Chinese, the dragon boat festival is known as “端午节(Duānwǔjié).” In Japan, we have a similar festival, especially in how the name of the festival is written in Japanese. It is written as “端午の節句,” and it is held every year on May 5th in Japan. The Japanese festival ”端午の節句” is to pray for children’s good health. During the Japanese festival, families who have a boy in their family display a decorative amaro (samurai) helmet like the picture below in the house and also put up carp streamers outside called Koinobori which have a meaning of strong vitality or to get promoted in the future.

On the other hand, Chinese “端午节(Duānwǔjié)” is a festival with the following traditional activities and food such as having 龍船 (Dragon Boat race), 粽(zòngzi, sticky rice dumplings), making 香包(xiāngbāo, perfume pouch) and putting 百索(Bǎisuǒ) on your wrist, etc…

It has been said that there are several theories about this festival. I’ve read one of them is based on 屈原（Qū Yuán) who was a Chinese poet and aristocrat in the State of Chu during the Warring States period.

Reference: Wikipedia_Qu Yuan

The following week of the Chinese dragon board festival, we joined a 香包(xiāngbāo) making class with my children.

香包(xiāngbāo) is a small bag like the picture below. The little bag has different kinds of herbs in it.

Pick different kinds of herbs, grind them in a small bowl, and put them in a cloth bag.

My daughter sewed the bag herself.

She did a great job! I heard that traditionally, the bag is put on your chest or sleeves and it is to believe that it will scare off evil spirits.

粽(zòngzi) is steamed sticky rice wrapped with a bamboo leaf. There were some with Chinese dates and a lot of kinds of beans. The dates one tasted like a dessert and I liked it a lot.

Zongzi with date.

This one had some corn, green beans, and shitake mushroom.

The bracelets are called 百索(Bǎisuǒ) which are made with strings of 5 different colors. During the festival, people wear them on their wrists to avoid bad luck.

You are supposed to throw the bracelets in the street after the first rain after the Dragon Board Festival. But we are still keeping the bracelets because they are beautiful, even though we already had the first rain. hehe

One of the original stories about Chinese 端午节 is from 2300 years ago. On May 5th of the Chinese lunar year, it is said to have been the anniversary of Qu Yuan’s (c. 340 BC – 278 BC) death by suicide by drowning. The dragon boat symbolizes how the local people went to find and help get his body on the dragon boat. The 粽(zòngzi) is known as what people threw into the river, to protect Qu’s body from being eaten by fish.

(Actually, in my hometown in Japan, we have a boat race called “Peron competition,” and the boats look like dragon boats. I wonder if it they are remnants from a Chinese dragon boat…?) “端午节(Duānwǔjié) is also held in Taiwan and Vietnam.

Interestingly, there are similarities between Chinese and Japanese 端午節, however, I’m curious how the festival became so different. I want to read some more articles about each festival.

Thank you for reading my blog!