What activities are there on the Dragon Boat Festival?
First, dragon boat race.
The origin of dragon boat racing can be traced back to the Warring States period. The custom of "dragon boat race" has existed since the Warring States Period. People race with the drums and row canoes carved with dragons, which is a semi-religious and semi-recreational activity. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, dragon boat races became popular in Taiwan Province Province. As a water sport, with the introduction of Chinese culture in China and overseas, the dragon boat race has attracted many foreign dragon boat lovers. In addition to commemorating the ancients and celebrating festivals, it also played a certain role in communication.
Second, hang calamus leaves.
On the Dragon Boat Festival, people regard inserting wormwood and calamus as one of the important contents. Every family sweeps the court, puts calamus and moxa sticks between their eyebrows and hangs them in the class. The stems and leaves of wormwood contain volatile aromatic oil, which can repel mosquitoes and purify the air. Traditional Chinese medicine can be used as medicine, and unique moxibustion also benefits from this. In short, in the morning or the day before, some aunts will be happy to pick some back as an indispensable part of this festival.
Third, eat zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival.
In China, eating zongzi is an indispensable theme regardless of the size of festivals. Zongzi is the most popular food and gift during the Dragon Boat Festival, and jiaozi may be popular in the north. But the custom of eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival is still very high in the whole country. The wrapping method of zongzi and the choice of ingredients are different, and glutinous rice is essential. Sweet red bean dumplings, bacon dumplings and some white rice dumplings are also very popular in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Many older elders are best at old-fashioned zongzi, which is also the purest taste. Many young people always bring some zongzi wrapped by their families when they go home for the New Year, or share them with others or enjoy them slowly.
Fourth, wear sachets.
The sachet is also called sachet, sachet, wallet, etc. , which combines the traditional culture of China. It is a kind of colorful silk or coarse cloth with spices. Although wearing sachets is a folk custom, it was a method to prevent plague in ancient China. In order to ensure the health of children and their families, the ancients made sachets with Chinese medicine and gave them to children for health preservation. The shapes of sachets are also pocket-shaped, diamond-shaped, round and floral patterns. In modern times, the decorative function of sachet accounts for most of the reasons for wearing it. People can also install their favorite spices according to their own preferences, which can not only smell their own flavor, but also cover up some peculiar smells in the environment.
Five, bolt five-color silk thread
At noon, the weather is full of pure yang and righteousness. With the help of heaven and earth, it is decorated with five-color silk thread, which conforms to the concept of five elements. This is also a unique cultural extension of China. In folk customs, people put colored silk thread on children's wrists during the Dragon Boat Festival and throw it into the rain in the first rain after the Dragon Boat Festival, which can throw away bad things and bring good luck for a year, and the five poisons will not invade. The folk song says "Dragon Boat Festival, the weather is hot, the five poisons wake up, and there is no peace". Five poisons refer to centipedes, poisonous snakes, scorpions, geckos and toads. Therefore, some folk places also have the custom of avoiding the five poisons.
Health knowledge of Dragon Boat Festival
Eating zongzi to clear away heat and relieve anxiety
Chinese medicine believes that glutinous rice has the functions of invigorating qi and spleen, stimulating appetite and promoting digestion. The leaves used to wrap zongzi are more delicate. Reed leaves are mostly used in the north, and bamboo leaves or lotus leaves are mostly used in the south. These leaves have good medicinal functions. For example, reed leaves can clear away heat and promote fluid production, remove troubles and quench thirst; Bamboo leaves can clear away heat, relieve annoyance, induce diuresis and detoxify; Lotus leaf can clear away heat, induce diuresis and regulate stomach. Generally speaking, Zongzi has the functions of clearing away heat, relieving annoyance, stimulating appetite and strengthening the spleen, and is especially suitable for eating in early summer.
When eating, you should pay attention to the sticky glutinous rice, which is the raw material for making zongzi. If you eat too much, you will easily get indigestion and you should not be greedy.
Acorus calamus var. artemisiae argyi detoxified freckle removing
There is a folk proverb that says, "Willows are inserted in Qingming Festival, and wormwood is inserted in Dragon Boat Festival." On the Dragon Boat Festival, every household will put calamus and moxa sticks on the lintel and hang them in the hall. Folium Artemisiae Argyi (also known as Folium Artemisiae Argyi) is a traditional Chinese medicine which is blindly fragrant and turbid, and has a strong detoxification and epidemic elimination effect. Modern research shows that hanging mugwort leaves and burning mugwort leaves do have the function of sterilization and prevention of plague epidemic. Folium Artemisiae Argyi and Rhizoma Acori Graminei also have mosquito repellent effect, and the mosquito repellent effect is better when Folium Artemisiae Argyi burns slowly.
Modern people rarely hang herbs such as mugwort leaves and calamus at home. For this problem, experts say it can be solved by smoking and spraying aerosol. Ordinary families can choose to close the doors and windows before and after the Dragon Boat Festival, and then smoke with the mixture of Acorus calamus, Artemisia argyi and Realgar for more than 2~4 hours, which can play a sterilization role. In addition, you can also buy aerosol to kill insects and mosquitoes in stores to achieve the purpose of killing pests.
Apply realgar wine to kill insects and detoxify.
Around the Dragon Boat Festival, many areas in southern China entered the rainy season, and the weather conditions were favorable for the activities and reproduction of mosquitoes, flies and pests. Realgar is a traditional Chinese medicine that blindly detoxifies and kills insects. Containing toxic arsenic salt, pests will be poisoned when they smell it, and people can avoid it when they apply it. Many people also drink realgar wine on Dragon Boat Festival, but it is not recommended to take it orally, because the main component of realgar is arsenic disulfide, which can be decomposed into highly toxic arsenic when heated.
Sprinkling realgar wine is one of the customs of Dragon Boat Festival. During the Dragon Boat Festival, realgar is mixed with wine to make realgar wine, which is sprinkled in the corner of the room and under the bed, which has a strong mosquito and insect killing effect. Because realgar can be absorbed from the skin, it is not suitable for large-scale external use to prevent poisoning.
Drinking Wu Jia wine can dispel dampness and ward off evil spirits.
It is a folk custom to pick five drinks and brew five drinks on the fifth day of May. Acanthopanax senticosus is Acanthopanax senticosus skin, which smells bitter. Acanthopanax senticosus skin has a strange fragrance, which can nourish liver and kidney and strengthen bones and muscles. People believe that drinking five glasses of wine can ward off evil spirits. Acanthopanax senticosus is mainly used to treat hernia, abdominal pain, male enuresis, female low back pain and foot pain. Located in a humid area, it is especially suitable for drinking Wu Jia wine during the Dragon Boat Festival.
Hanging sachets to dispel wind and cold
Many places in China have the custom of hanging sachets on the Dragon Boat Festival, which is also a way to prevent infectious diseases. The traditional Chinese medicines used in the self-made Dragon Boat Festival sachet are Rhizoma Atractylodis, Herba Agastaches, Fructus Evodiae, Folium Artemisiae Argyi, Cortex Cinnamomi, Fructus Amomi and Radix Angelicae Dahuricae, 2g each, and 1 g clove. Grind these herbs and put them in a cloth bag for sewing. Can be worn on the chest, waist or navel, and can also be hung at the door, indoors or in the car. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that these herbs have the functions of expelling wind and cold, invigorating spleen and regulating stomach, regulating qi and relieving pain, and dredging channels and nine orifices, thus playing a role in preventing diseases.
Tips: In the modern life style, some ancient customs of Dragon Boat Festival have been gradually abandoned. However, it turns out that our traditional customs contain many health-keeping mysteries.
What does it mean to eat zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival?
Every year, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is the Dragon Boat Festival. On that day, people eat zongzi. Many people don't know why they eat zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival, and they don't know what the meaning of eating zongzi is. In fact, it is just a kind of inheritance. The must-eat food every year is zongzi.
Dragon Boat Festival is a festival in memory of Qu Yuan. Legend has it that Qu Yuan committed suicide by throwing himself into the river on the Dragon Boat Festival. People don't want Qu Yuan to get hurt, so they throw zongzi and other food into the river to prevent the fish in the river from eating him. Therefore, in order to commemorate Qu Yuan, later generations have the custom of eating zongzi and racing dragon boats on the fifth day of May every year.
Not only in memory of Qu Yuan, but also for family reunion. After all, now the Dragon Boat Festival is a legal holiday. Every year, vagrants from all over the country will go home to reunite with their families. There is another meaning, that is, "seeking a son." Zongzi has the homophonic meaning of "neutron" There have been rumors that eating zongzi can give birth to sons, indicating that people are prosperous. In short, eating zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival is a good intention, so you must remember to eat zongzi.