端午节 Duān wǔ jié or Dragon Boat Festival
端午节 Duān wǔ jié is known in English as the Dragon Boat Festival. The festival is actually the 5th of the fifth lunar
month in the Chinese calendar. The meaning of which really boils down to one thing:
"The Beginning of Summer!!!"
However, one cannot be so hasty as the lunar calendar did not always sit so closely with the Gregorian calendar.
Furthermore, there are many who believe that the poet Qu Yuan (around 300 B.C.) was the inspiration for the festival (others say Wu Zixu even prior in 500 B.C. or so). However, researchers now believe the festival predated these poets who were elevated to such prominance by Confucian scholars.
For whatever reason, the Chinese eat zongzi, drink realgar wine and race dragon boats!!
CLEARLY WE NEED A HOLIDAY AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER!
(No sarcasm intended, remember I come from Canada where we have to include a three day weekend EVERY SUMMER MONTH!!)
"The Beginning of Summer!!!"
However, one cannot be so hasty as the lunar calendar did not always sit so closely with the Gregorian calendar.
Furthermore, there are many who believe that the poet Qu Yuan (around 300 B.C.) was the inspiration for the festival (others say Wu Zixu even prior in 500 B.C. or so). However, researchers now believe the festival predated these poets who were elevated to such prominance by Confucian scholars.
For whatever reason, the Chinese eat zongzi, drink realgar wine and race dragon boats!!
CLEARLY WE NEED A HOLIDAY AT THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER!
(No sarcasm intended, remember I come from Canada where we have to include a three day weekend EVERY SUMMER MONTH!!)
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