Why do we eat rice dumplings and race dragon boats during the Dragon Boat Festival? The symbolism of dragon boat racing
Eating rice dumplings and racing dragon boats during the Dragon Boat Festival are unified customs throughout the country. The taste of the rice dumplings can vary greatly due to regional differences. The fifth month of the lunar calendar has officially entered midsummer. We need to pay attention to heat prevention and cooling to avoid physical discomfort caused by high temperatures. So what else should we pay attention to in May of 2022? Shui Mo Net has prepared relevant articles.Why do we eat rice dumplings and race dragon boats during the Dragon Boat Festival?1. There are many theories about the origin of dragon boat racing, including sacrificial activities such as worshiping Cao E, Qu Yuan, water gods or dragon gods, and its origin can be traced back to the Warring States Period. There are several theories about the origin of dragon boat racing on the Dragon Boat Festival, including to worship Cao E, Qu Yuan, and the water god. But now most people think it is to commemorate Qu Yuan. According to legend, after Qu Yuan died, people rowed boats to salvage his body and threw food such as rice dumplings into the river to prevent fish and shrimp from eating his body. This gradually evolved into the custom of dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival.2. Eating rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival is to express respect and remembrance for Qu Yuan. The legend has it that in 340 BC, Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet and minister of the State of Chu, faced the pain of losing his country. On May 5th, he was so angry that he embraced a large stone and threw himself into the Miluo River. In order to prevent fish and shrimp from damaging his body, people filled bamboo tubes with rice and threw them into the river. Later, in order to express their respect and remembrance for Qu Yuan, people would fill bamboo tubes with rice and throw them into the river to commemorate him on this day. This is the origin of the earliest rice dumpling in my country, the "tube rice dumpling". The symbolism of dragon boat racingIn the two lakes area, worshiping Qu Yuan and dragon boat racing are closely related. It is possible that after the death of Qu Yuan, Cao E, Wu Zixu and others, the local people also used soul boats to send their souls back for burial, hence this custom. But in addition to commemorating Qu Yuan, people in different places have also given different meanings to dragon boat racing.Various sacrificial and commemorative ceremonies are held before the dragon boat race, usually involving lighting incense and candles, burning paper money, and offering chicken, rice, meat, fruit, and rice dumplings. Nowadays, these superstitious rituals are rare, but in the past, people were very solemn when offering sacrifices to the Dragon Temple. They mostly prayed for a good harvest, good weather, getting rid of evil spirits, warding off disasters, everything going well, and also for safe boating. In people's words, "for good luck" expresses people's good wishes. |
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