端午节
端午节来源
The Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival
端午节的起源和中国古代星象文化和人文文化有关系。根据星象理论，端午节来自于古人对星罗天象的崇拜。根据《易经·乾卦》的记载，端午是龙飞天的吉祥日子。在古代，人们在端午这个大吉大利的日子祭祀祖先神灵以期望获得上天的庇佑。
The origin of The Dragon Boat Festival has something to do with the astrology and culture of ancient China. According to the astrological theory, the Dragon Boat Festival originated from the worship of cosmos and nature inancient times. According to ancient legend, the date of the festival is when the dragon flies into the sky. People thus choose to worship their ancestors in this auspicious festival and hope to get blessings from them in-return.
根据文化传说，端午节是为了纪念屈原才有的。屈原是中国战国时期的楚国人。他是一个政治家和爱国诗人。在楚国被秦国灭亡后，屈原悲痛不已选择了在五月初五投入汨罗江而死。屈原投江后，当地百姓闻讯马上划船捞救。后来为了寄托哀思，人们荡舟江河之上，此后才逐渐发展成为龙舟竞赛。百姓们又怕江河里的鱼吃掉他的身体，就纷纷回家拿来米团投入江中，以免鱼虾糟蹋屈原的尸体，后来就成了吃粽子的习俗。
According to cultural legend, the Dragon Boat Festival is in memory of Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan was a native of Chu during the Warring States Time.He was a statesman and patriotic poet. After the fall of the Chu by Qin state, Qu Yuan sadly chose to plunge into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Local people immediately organized boats to rescue him after hearing about it. Later, in order to express their grief, people paddled on rivers to worship the death of Qu Yuan, and this gradually developed into dragon boat races. People were afraid that the fishes in the river would eat his body, so they fed the fishes by dropping rice dumplings into the river. This later became the custom of eating “Zong Zi”。
端午节是什么时候？
When is Dragon Boat Festival?
端午节风俗
The Dragon Boat Festival Customs
赛龙舟
Dragon Boat Racing
龙舟就是用木板做成的龙形船，船头上装龙头，船尾装龙尾，船身上雕刻龙形花纹。赛龙舟的历史源远流长，最早可以追溯到7000年前。在端午这一天，人们分组进行集体竞赛，角逐胜者。
Dragon boat is a boat made of wood with a dragon head, a dragon tail, and a body carved with dragon pattern. Dragon boat racing has a long history, dating back to 7,000 years ago. On the Dragon Boat Festival, people compete in groups to win the dragon boat racing.
吃粽子
Eating Rice Dumplings
粽子是由艾叶或者竹叶包裹糯米和馅料蒸制而成。在中国古代，粽子起祭祀祖先的作用。到近代，粽子变成了庆祝端午佳节的食物。根据地域的不同，粽子的馅料口味也大有不同。在中国南方特别是广东地区喜食咸味粽，馅料包括咸蛋黄，虾米，火腿等。而北方地区则爱吃甜味粽，馅料有红枣，豆沙等。
Zongzi, also called rice dumplings, are
composed of glutinous rice filled with stuffing.
The glutinous rice is wrapped by mugwort
or bamboo leaves and steamed before eating.
In ancient China, zongzi played the role of
offering sacrifices to ancestors. In modern
times, zongzi became the food to be eaten
as part of the celebration of the Dragon Boat
Festival. Depending on the region, the filling
of zongzi also varies greatly. People in south
China, especially in Guangdong province, like
to eat savory zongzi, stuffed with salted egg
yolk, dried shrimp, and ham. In the north
region, people like to eat sweet zongzi, stuffed with red dates, and red bean paste.
在家门口挂艾草
Hanging Mugwort Leaves in Front of the Do
r
在端午节前后，人们在家门口会悬挂几株艾草和菖蒲。这是因为艾草具有驱蚊辟邪的作用，而初夏蚊虫较多。
Around the Dragon Boat Festival, people
hang mugwort and calamus on their doorways.
This is because mugwort has the effect of
driving away mosquitoes and evil, especially
when there are mosquitoes in June.
避五毒
Eliminating Five Venomous Creatures
五毒指的是蝎子，蛇，蜈蚣，壁虎，和蟾蜍这五种有毒性的生物。在南方，端午时节天气转热，蛇虫猖獗，在此时疾病最容易流行。因此人们希望躲避导致疾病的蛇虫们。在端午这一天，人们用红纸印上这五种毒物再用五根针刺穿寓意消除。
“Wu Du” refers to the five venomous creatures:
scorpions, snakes, centipedes, geckos, and
toads. In the south China, when weather turns
hot, those creatures spread and hurt people.
So people want to avoid the snakes and insects
that cause diseases even death. On the Dragon
Boat Festival day, people printed those five
poisonous creatures on red paper and pierced
them with five needles to symbolize elimination.
吃五黄
Eating Five Kinds of Yellow Food
在中国东南部一带，过端午有吃“五黄”的习俗。五黄是指五种黄色的食物-“黄鱼，黄瓜，黄鳝，鸭蛋黄，和雄黄酒。”这大多是六月份的时令食物。
In southeast China, there is the custom of
eating “Five yellow” during the Dragon Boat
Festival. It refers to five kinds of yellow food
— “yellow croaker, cucumber, eel, duck egg
yolk, and vinegar wine.” They are all the popular food in the June.
做香囊
Sachet making
端午节做香囊，可以祛邪祈福。香包，佩戴在胸前、腰际、脐中等处，有清香、驱虫、避瘟、防病的功能。端午节香包选用的中草药具有散风驱寒、健脾和胃、理气止痛、通九窍之功能，且大都含有挥发油，气味清香纯正、持久，多数中药有效成分对多种细菌和病毒、霉菌有不同程度的抑制或杀灭功能，从而起到了避邪驱瘟的作用。
making sachet in Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional custom, we will wearing the sachets we made in order to avoid the "wudu".
端午节的国际影响
Global Impact of the Dragon Boat Festival
在当今世界，端午节已经走出了中国被世界各地所知晓。在不少亚洲国家比如日本，朝鲜，韩国新加坡等地，当地居民制作具有当地特色的粽子庆祝端午。而在美国，英国，和德国等地，龙舟竞赛的运动也逐渐流行了起来。可以说端午节正在向一个国际化的节日迈进。
Nowadays, the Dragon Boat Festival has spread outside China and is known all over the world. In many Asian countries, such as Japan, the DPRK and Singapore, local residents make
rice dumplings with local characteristics
to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. In the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries, the sport of dragon boat
race is now becoming increasingly popular. It can be said that the Dragon Boat Festival is becoming an international festival.
