The origins and customs of the Dragon Boat Festival

As for the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, to sum up, there are roughly the following theories: Qu Yuan

1. Commemorating Qu Yuan. This theory first came from "Xu Qi Xie Ji" by Wu Jun of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. And the records in "Jingchu Years' Records" by Zongmao of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. It is said that Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and was trapped by dragons after his death. People mourned his death and threw colorful silk rice dumplings into the water on this day to drive away the dragons. It is also said that after Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River, local people immediately rowed boats to rescue him after hearing the news. They continued to Dongting Lake, but Qu Yuan's body was not found. At that time, it happened to be a rainy day, and the boats on the lake gathered together at the pavilion on the shore. When people learned that they were salvaging the virtuous minister Qu, they went out in the rain again and rushed into the vast Dongting Lake. In order to express their grief, people went boating on the rivers, and then it gradually developed into dragon boat racing. It seems that eating rice dumplings and racing dragon boats on the Dragon Boat Festival are related to the commemoration of Qu Yuan. There is a poem "Dragon Boat Festival" by Wenxiu of the Tang Dynasty as evidence: "Who said that the festival is divided into Dragon Boat Festival? It has been said that it is Qu Yuan. It is ridiculous that the Chu River is so vague that it cannot be washed straight. "I am wronged."

2. In memory of the filial daughter Cao E, this sentence comes from the "Cao E Monument" of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river and his body was not seen for several days. At that time, her filial daughter Cao E was only fourteen years old and cried along the river day and night. Seventeen days later, he also threw himself into the river on May 5th. Five days later, he took out his father's body.

3. Welcome the God of Waves. After Wu Zixu, a loyal minister of Wu State in the Spring and Autumn Period, died unjustly, he turned into the God of Waves. People mourned and sacrificed him, so there is the Dragon Boat Festival. This legend is widely circulated in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Wu Zixu was a member of the Chu State. His father and brother were both killed by the King of Chu. Later, Zixu defected to the State of Wu and helped Wu conquer Chu. After five battles, he entered Yingcheng, the capital of Chu. At that time, King Ping of Chu was dead, so Zixu dug up the grave and whipped the corpse three hundred times to avenge the death of his father and brother. After King Helu of Wu died, his son Fucha succeeded to the throne. The Wu army had high morale and won every battle. The country of Yue was defeated. King Goujian of Yue asked for peace, and Fucha agreed. Zixu suggested that the Yue Kingdom should be completely wiped out, but Fu Chai refused to listen. The Grand Prime Minister of the Wu State was bribed by the Yue Kingdom and framed Zixu with slanderous words. Fu Chai believed it and gave Zixu a sword, and Zixu died with it. Zixu was a loyal man and regarded death as home. Before he died, he said to his neighbors: "After I die, dig out my eyes and hang them on the east gate of Wu Jing to watch the Yue army enter the city and destroy Wu." Then he committed suicide and died. After hearing this, he was furious and ordered Zixu's body to be packed in leather and thrown into the river on May 5th. Therefore, it is said that the Dragon Boat Festival is also the day to commemorate Wu Zixu.

4. Dragon Festival, this saying comes from Wen Yiduo’s "Dragon Boat Festival" and "Dragon Boat Festival Historical Education". He believes that the fifth day of May is the day when the "dragon" tribe in the ancient Wuyue region held totem sacrifices. The main reasons are: (1) The two most important activities of the Dragon Boat Festival, eating rice dumplings and racing boats, are both related to dragons. Zongzi thrown into the water are often stolen by dragons, while dragon boats are used for the ferry races. (2) The ferry race is particularly closely related to the ancient Wuyue region, and the people of Wuyue also have the custom of cutting off their hair and getting tattoos "to look like dragons". (3) In ancient times, there was a folk custom of "tying arms with colorful silk" on the fifth day of May. This should be a relic of the "dragon son-like" tattoo custom.

5. Evil Days. In the pre-Qin era, it was generally believed that May was a poisonous month and the fifth day was an evil day. According to legend, evil and evil were in power on this day, and the five poisons appeared simultaneously. According to the "Book of Rites", the Dragon Boat Festival originated from the orchid bathing in the Zhou Dynasty. The chapter "Midsummer's Notes" in "Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals" stipulates that people should abstain from sex and fast in May. "Xia Xiaozheng" records: "On this day, medicine is stored to remove poisonous gases." "Dadaili" records, "On May 5th, animals are used for bathing." There are many legends about bathing to ward off evil spirits and thinking that Chongwu is the day of death. "Historical Records: Biography of Mengchangjun" records that the famous Mengchangjun in history was born on May 5th. His father asked his mother not to give birth to him, believing that "if a child is born in the fifth month of the fifth month of the lunar month, he will be harmed by his parents." The lost text of "Customs" states, "It is said that if a child is born on May 5th, the male will harm the father, and the female will harm the mother." Wang Chong, the author of "Lunheng", also recorded: "It is taboo to raise the son of the first month and the fifth month; it is not allowed to kill the father and mother with the son of the first month and the fifth month." Wang Zhen'e, the general of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and his grandfather named him " Suppress evil." Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, was born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and was fostered outside the palace since childhood. It can be seen that in ancient times, it was a common phenomenon to regard the fifth day of May as an evil day. It can be seen that since the pre-Qin Dynasty, this day has been an unlucky day. In this way, it is logical to plant calamus and mugwort leaves on this day to drive away ghosts, smoke atractylodes and angelica and drink realgar wine to ward off epidemics. And people also avoid the taboo of "Dragon Boat Festival" and call it "Dragon Boat Festival".

6. Summer Solstice. Liu Deqian, who holds this view, put forward three main reasons in "Another Story of the Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival" and "Interesting Talks about Traditional Chinese Festivals": (1) Authoritative The book "Jingchu Suishiji" when he was a child did not mention the festival custom of eating rice dumplings on the fifth day of May, but it was written that eating rice dumplings was included in the Summer Solstice Festival. As for the boat race, the "Jade Candle Book" written by Du Taiqing of the Sui Dynasty listed it as an entertainment activity on the summer solstice, which shows that it was not necessarily to salvage the great poet Qu Yuan who threw himself into the river. (2) Some contents in the Dragon Boat Festival customs, such as "stepping on hundreds of herbs", "fighting on hundreds of herbs", "collecting miscellaneous herbs", etc., actually have nothing to do with Qu Yuan. (3) The first explanation of the Dragon Boat Festival in "The Scenery of the Year" is: "The sun leaves are shining brightly, and the Dragon Boat Festival is in the middle of summer. Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival can also be called the Tianzhong Festival. Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival The earliest origin of the festival is the summer solstice, and the commemoration of Qu Yuan has the most widespread influence. Because of Qu Yuan's outstanding personality, people are also willing to attribute this anniversary to him.

7. To commemorate the female poet Qiu Jin, nicknamed Ruiqing Jingxiong, nicknamed Jianhu Nvxia, nicknamed Yugu, a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. She was good at poetry, lyrics, songs, and rhymes when she was young, and liked horse riding and fencing. Hua Mulan and Qin Liangyu are still alive. She participated in the revolution at the age of 28 and had a great impact. She was arrested by the Qing soldiers when she was planning an uprising. She remained unyielding until her death. She died heroically in Xuanhengkou, Shaoxing on June 5, the 33rd year of Guangxu. Later generations admire her. The poem mourned her heroic deeds, so it was combined with the Poet's Day to commemorate her, and the Poet's Day was designated as the Dragon Boat Festival in memory of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.

Dragon Boat Festival customs

< p> "Dragon Boat Festival Ornaments"

Jianren is an ornament worn by women during the Dragon Boat Festival in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in the old days. It is usually made of gold and silver wire or copper wire and gold foil. It is in the shape of a villain riding a tiger. In addition, bells, bells, tassels, garlic, rice dumplings, etc. are inserted into women's buns and used as gifts. "Qing Jia Lu" says: "On May 5th, people in the city made tassels, bells, and bells out of gold and silver silk. They are shaped like bells, depicting a man riding on a tiger. They are extremely fine and embellished with small hairpins running through them in a string. Some may have copper wire and gold foil for women to wear on their temples. They also offer gifts to each other and are called Jianren. "Jianren agrees with Airen when he says that he just uses silk to change Ai. Wu Manyun's "Jiangxiang Jiewu Ci·Small Preface" says: "As is customary in Hangzhou, Jianren is Airen, and he uses silk to make the shape of a camel and tiger. "All women wear it," so it should have the effect of exorcising evil spirits and warding off epidemics; one theory is that the ancient Bu Yao was purely a woman's decoration (note by Cai Yun's "Wu Xian").

Dou Niang, the headdress worn by women during the Dragon Boat Festival in the old days. It was often seen in Jiangnan. It is also called Jianren. It is said that this thing originated from the ancient Buyao, and it is said to be a different form of Airen. "Tang and Song Dynasty Annals" says: "Whoever is north or south of the river, the system of winning the hairpin head in five days is extremely ingenious. They usually make mugwort leaves with pins and needles, or embroider them with the shapes of immortals, Buddhas, hexapods, crows, insects, fish, animals, eight treasures, flowers, etc. Crepe spiders, silkworms, phoenixes, cocoon tigers, lizards, mantises, cicadas and scorpions, gourds, melons and fruits, the colors are lifelike. Add flags, banners, precious canopies, embroidered balls and tassels, bells and bells in hundreds of shapes, or strings of them throughout. They are called damselflies, and they are incomparable. ”

Aihu, a thing used to ward off evil spirits during the old Dragon Boat Festival, was also used as a decoration. In ancient my country, the tiger was regarded as a sacred animal, and it was believed that it could ward off evil spirits and protect peace. "Customs" says: "The tiger is the The penis is the leader of all beasts. It can eat ghosts and ghosts, and... it can also ward off evil. Therefore, tigers are often used by the people to ward off evil spirits. Among them, the mugwort tiger during the Dragon Boat Festival is the most distinctive. The mugwort tiger is either braided and cut from mugwort, or cut into a ribbon and made into a tiger. The custom of wearing moxa leaves on the hairline and body during the Dragon Boat Festival has a history of more than a thousand years. Song Dynasty Chen Yuangui's "Sui Sui Guang Ji" quoted from "Sui Shi Za Ji": "The Dragon Boat Festival uses moxa as a tiger shape, which looks like a black bean. For big ones, you might cut the ribbon into a little tiger and stick mugwort leaves on it to wear. Wang Yigong's poem "Dragon Boat Festival Post": "The hairpin-headed moxa tiger wards off evil spirits, driving the seven-treasure chariot with auspicious clouds at dawn". "The Qing Dynasty Fucha Dunchong's "Yanjing Years of the Year" says: "Every Dragon Boat Festival, the clever ones in the boudoir will use silk to make small tigers and rice dumplings... Thread them with colorful threads, hang them on the head of a hairpin, or tie them to a child's head. On the back, an ancient poem says: "The jade swallow hairpin head is light and the moxa tiger is light", that's what it means. ”

Painting the forehead with forehead. During the Dragon Boat Festival, there is a custom of smearing the child’s forehead with realgar to repel poisonous insects. The typical method is to use realgar wine to draw the word “王” on the child’s forehead, and then use realgar to drive away poisonous insects. The second is to use the tiger ("king" resembles the tiger's forehead pattern, and the tiger is the king of beasts, so it is used instead of the tiger) to suppress evil spirits. "Yanjing Suishi Ji" written by Fucha Dunzong of the Qing Dynasty says: "Every Dragon Boat Festival, since Starting from the first day of the new year, take realgar and wine and sprinkle it, and apply it on the child's collar and between the nose and ears to avoid poisonous substances. "In addition to smearing on the forehead, nose and ears, it can also be smeared on other places with the same intention.

Shanxi's "Hequ County Chronicle" says: "Drinking realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival and smearing it on children's forehead, hands, and soles... is said to cure diseases and prolong life." decoration. It is also called life-extending thread, life-extending silk, year-extending thread, longevity thread, also known as "Baisuo", "Bingshao", "Wucailu", etc. The names are different, but the shape and function are roughly the same. It is customary to knot five-color silk into a rope during the Dragon Boat Festival. It can be hung at the head of the door, worn around children's necks, or tied to children's arms, or hung on bed tents, cradle, etc. It is said that it can avoid disasters, eliminate diseases, and protect health. , prolong life. There are roughly five shapes of such festival objects: simple five-color silk threads are stranded into a rope and tied to the arm; the multi-colored rope is decorated with gold and tin ornaments and hung on the neck; the multi-colored rope is folded into a square and decorated on the chest; Colorful rope knots are worn by human figures; sun, moon, stars, black animals and other objects are embroidered with colorful silk threads as a tribute to the elders. This custom began in the Han Dynasty. Yingshao of the Eastern Han Dynasty wrote in "Customs and Customs·Anonymous": "At noon, the arms are tied with colorful silk to avoid ghosts and soldiers, so that people will not get sick and plague. One person will have a long life, and the other will be a soldier." From then on, it became a habit until modern times. The Qing Dynasty's Fu Cha Dunzong recorded the customs at that time: "Every Dragon Boat Festival, the clever ones in the boudoir would make little tigers and rice dumplings, gourds, cherries, mulberries, etc. out of Suluo, thread them with colored threads, and hang them On the hairpin head, or tied on the back of a child. "In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the court even gave ministers this kind of gift. According to historical records, during the Duanjie Festival of the first year of Zong Xingyuan in the Tang Dynasty, the court once gave a hundred ropes and one shaft. Also in "History of the Song Dynasty·Book of Rites Fifteen": "On the previous day, gold life-extending belts and colorful silk life-extending belts were given to all officials. Wear them during festivals." Purse

Wear a sachet to bring fragrance. Bags are also called sachets, sachets, purses, etc. They are made of five-color silk threads or sewn with rags, and are filled with spices (made from the Chinese herbs Angelica dahurica, Chuanxiong, Baicao, Paicao, Kaempferia spp., Spicy nard, and Gao Benxing). , worn on the chest, the fragrance is fragrant. Chen Shiliang's "Sui Sui Guang Ji" quoted from "Sui Sui Za Ji" mentioned a kind of "Duan Wu made of red and white colors like a bag, with colored threads running through it, and the twitching makes it look like a flower." and another kind of "clam pink bell". : "On the fifth day of the Dragon Boat Festival, put clam powder in the silk and decorate it with cotton, like a few beads. Let the children wear it to absorb sweat." The contents of these portable bags have changed several times, from clam powder to absorb sweat, talismans to ward off evil spirits, copper coins, and realgar powder to repel insects, to sachets filled with spices. The production has become increasingly sophisticated, becoming a unique folk custom of the Dragon Boat Festival. Artwork.

Wearing a sachet is very particular. In order to prevent diseases and keep fit, the elderly generally like to wear flowers in the shape of plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, peaches, apples, lotus flowers, dolls riding fish, dolls hugging roosters, double lotuses and other shapes, which symbolize the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers, all the best, love between husband and wife, and family harmony. What children like are birds and animals, such as tigers and leopards; monkeys riding the yu, fighting cocks, etc. Young people are particularly particular about wearing sachets. If they are a lover in love, the passionate girl will carefully make one or two unique sachets early and give them to her lover before the festival. The young man wearing the sachet given by his sweetheart will naturally arouse comments from the men and women around him, praising the young man's ingenuity.

"The Five Poisons of the Dragon Boat Festival"

As mentioned above, the Dragon Boat Festival is a poisonous and evil day in the minds of the ancients. This idea has been passed down in folk beliefs. Since ancient times, there have been various customs to seek peace and avoid disasters. In fact, this is because the weather in summer is hot and dry, making people prone to illness and epidemics. In addition, snakes and insects breed and can easily bite people, so we must be very careful and this habit is formed. Various customs, such as collecting herbs, sprinkling realgar wine on walls, doors and windows, drinking Pu wine, etc., may seem superstitious, but they are hygienic activities that are beneficial to health. The Dragon Boat Festival can actually be regarded as a traditional medical and health festival. It is a festival for the people to fight against diseases and poisonous insects. Today, these health customs should still be developed and promoted.

Dragon Boat Festival health customs

①Collect herbs. This is one of the oldest Dragon Boat Festival customs. "Xia Xiaozheng" records: "On this day, medicine is stored to remove poisonous gases." Volume 22 of "Sui Sui Guang Ji" "Collecting Miscellaneous Medicines" cites the lost text of "Jingchu Sui Shi Ji": "On May 5th, there was competition to collect miscellaneous medicines." Medicine can cure all kinds of diseases. "In "Qimin Yaoshu·Zaji" of the Later Wei Dynasty, there is a record of catching toads in May, which are also used for medicine. Later, many areas had the custom of catching toads during the Dragon Boat Festival. For example, Jiangsu collected toads on the Dragon Boat Festival, pricked the foam, and made the traditional Chinese medicine toad cake. People in Hangzhou also gave toads to children, saying that they could cool down the fire and prevent sores and boils in the summer. In addition, on the fifth day, put an ink tablet in the mouth of a toad, hang it up to dry, and it will become a toad tablet, which can be applied to the abscess to dissipate it. This custom of catching toads to make medicine originated from the legend of "toads fighting for war" in the Han Dynasty. Another example is that Hubei prison officials "gather hundreds of herbs" during the Dragon Boat Festival, which is also the custom of collecting medicinal herbs.

The custom of collecting herbs was formed on this day because the stems and leaves of herbs mature around the Dragon Boat Festival and have good medicinal properties.

②Mu Lan Tang, bathing in Lan Tang on Dragon Boat Festival is an ancient custom recorded in "Dadaili". The orchid at that time was not the orchid of today, but the orchid of the Asteraceae family. It was fragrant and could be boiled for bathing. "Jiu Ge·Yun Zhongjun" also has the sentence "Bath in orchid soup will bring out fragrance". "Records of the Years of Jingchu": "On May 5th, it is called the Orchid Bathing Festival." "Wuzazu" records that people in the Ming Dynasty took five-color grass and brushed it for bathing at noon because "orchid soup was not available." Later, I usually take a bath with fried pudding, mugwort and other herbs. In Guangdong, moxa, cattail, impatiens, magnolia and other flowers and plants are used; in Hunan, Guangxi and other places, cypress leaves, galanthemum root, mugwort, cattail, peach leaves, etc. are boiled into medicinal water for bathing. Regardless of men, women, old or young, the whole family washes it. This custom still exists today. It is said that it can cure skin diseases and remove evil spirits.

③Drink Pu wine, realgar wine, and cinnabar wine, and sprinkle it with wine. "Records of the Years of Jingchu": "Use calamus (a perennial herbaceous plant that grows by the water, with light red rhizomes underground, leaves shaped like swords, and spadix inflorescences. The rhizomes can be used as spices and medicine) or hollowed or scraped, "Cold wine." Pujiu is aromatic and refreshing. Later, realgar, cinnabar, etc. were added to the wine. "Wuzazui" written by Xie Zhaozhe in the Ming Dynasty: "You can also drink calamus wine...and drink it with realgar." "Yue Ling Guangyi" written by Feng Yingjing in the Ming Dynasty: "Use cinnabar wine for five days to ward off evil and detoxify, and use the wine to dye the forehead, chest, hands, feet, and heart , there will be no danger of snakes (a poisonous snake mentioned in ancient books). You can also sprinkle the walls, doors and windows to avoid poisonous insects." This custom is widely spread. To this day, in Binyang, Guangxi, bags of medicinal ingredients are sold during the Dragon Boat Festival, including realgar, rhubarb, cypress, peach kernel, cattail leaf, mugwort leaves, etc. After soaking in wine, people use calamus and mugwort to sprinkle on walls, corners, doors and windows. , under the bed, etc., and then use wine to smear the child's ears, nose, and navel to drive away poisonous insects and pray for the child's safety. In addition, in some areas, powdered realgar wine is used to draw the word "王" on children's foreheads, so that the children bear the mark of the tiger, in order to use the tiger to ward off evil spirits. From a health perspective, these activities still have scientific rationale. Realgar mixed with water and wine and sprinkled indoors can be disinfected and sterilized, and drinking it is also beneficial.

④ Pick tea and make herbal tea. In some areas in the north, people like to pick young leaves and wild vegetable leaves during the Dragon Boat Festival and steam and dry them to make tea. In the Chaozhou area of ??Guangdong, people go to the countryside to collect herbs and make herbal tea to drink. It's also good for health.

Setting up various flowers and plants on the Dragon Boat Festival that can ward off evil spirits has a long history. The earliest example is hanging mugwort on the door. "Jingchu Years' Records" says: "The mugwort is picked as a human being and hung on the door to absorb the poisonous gas." This is because mugwort is an important medicinal plant and can be used to make moxa to cure diseases. , moxibustion points can also repel insects. May moxa contains the most moxa oil (it is the peak growth period of moxa), so it has the best effect, so people rush to pick moxa moxa. In addition to picking Ai Zha as a human being, Ai Zha is also made into a tiger shape, which is called Ai Hu. The annotation of "Jingchu Sui Shi Ji" says: "Use Ai Zha in the shape of a tiger, or cut a ribbon into a tiger cub, and post it with Ai Zha, people inside strive to wear it." ." At the same time, Pu bunches and Pu swords cut from Pueraria and Pu dragons tied with Pu bunches were also hung on the door. "Records of the Years in the Imperial Capital": "(Dragon Boat Festival) Plants Pulong and moxa tiger." Volume 5 of "Qing Jia Lu": "Wear Pu as a sword, cut the canopy as a whip, use peach stems and garlic as a side, hang it on the bed door, all with The peach stem is a good luck weapon to ward off evil spirits, and the garlic is considered to be a symbol of the weapon copper hammer, which is matched with the sword and whip to drive away evil spirits. In addition, mugwort and other crops were burned to drive away mosquitoes and flies. In Hunan, Zhejiang and other places, kudzu vines are picked and hung on door frames. Legend has it that kudzu vines are iron chains that lock ghosts and can drive away ghosts and ward off evil spirits.

Games related to gathering herbs and mugwort include tampering with herbs and fighting with herbs, which are the customs of the ancients who went to the wild for recreation. Later it developed into decorative arts such as flower arrangement. Picture of the Five Poisons

Folks believe that May is the time when the five poisons (scorpions, snakes, centipedes, spiders, and toads) appear. Folks should use various methods to prevent the harm of the five poisons. Generally, a picture of the five poisons is posted in the house, with five poisons printed on red paper, and then five needles are used to prick the five poisons. It is considered that the poison has been stabbed to death and can no longer run rampant. This is a kind of witchcraft custom to ward off evil spirits. Folks also embroider the five poisons on their clothes and embroider the five poisons on cakes, both with the intention of driving them away.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, peach seals are also used as door decorations. Peach is a thing that drives away ghosts in folk customs. It originates from the myth of Shen Tu and Yu Lei. The peach is used to carve a seal, which also means to dispel disturbance. "Xu Hanshu·Etiquette": "Zhu Suo and five-color peach seals are used as door decorations to stop evil spirits." The ambiguous talisman and auspicious gourd of later generations originated from this. Volume 3 of "Mengliang Lu": "The sergeants and other families wrote the sentence "On May 5th, the Tianzhong Festival, the red mouth and the white tongue will be wiped out" written by Sheng Zhu at noon." This was a custom in the Song Dynasty. "Yanjing Years' Notes" also records: "On the Dragon Boat Festival, various gourds are cut from colored paper and stuck upside down on the doorstep to release poisonous gas." This was a custom in the Qing Dynasty.

Some also hang silk tassels, streamers, etc. on the paper gourds, which is more beautiful, or cut out the shapes of five poisons in the gourds and hang them on the door, which also means to vent the five poisons, which means "bringing disaster" gourd".

In the Tang Dynasty, bronze mirrors were cast in the middle of the Yangtze River in Yangzhou at noon on May 5th to pay tribute to the emperor. They were called "Emperor Mirrors", which also meant to ward off evil spirits (see "Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty") . Therefore, in later generations, more people hang mirrors in front of their doors to ward off evil spirits.

Hang mugwort, calamus, and banyan branches "Hang mugwort, calamus, and banyan branches"

Hang mugwort, calamus (Pujian) or pomegranate, and garlic at the door during the Dragon Boat Festival , all have other reasons. Usually mugwort, banyan and calamus are tied into a bunch with red paper and then inserted or hung on the door. Because the calamus is the first of the five auspicious signs in the sky, it symbolizes the sword that can eliminate bad luck. Because of the growing season and shape, it is considered to be responsible for the "qi of a hundred yins". The leaves are sword-shaped and can be inserted at the door to ward off evil spirits. Therefore, the alchemists called it the "Water Sword", and later customs extended it to the "Pu Sword", which can kill thousands of evil spirits. There is a record in "Qing Jia Lu" written by Gu Tieqing of the Qing Dynasty: "Cut cattails to make swords, cut pods to make whips, use peach stems and garlic as accessories, and hang them on the bed, all of which are used to drive away ghosts." In the "Feng Tu Zhi" of the Jin Dynasty, there is "Use moxa in the shape of a tiger, or cut a ribbon into a small tiger, and post it with moxa leaves, and people compete to cut it. Later, calamus was added, either in the shape of a human or in the shape of a sword, named Pujian. , to drive away evil spirits and expel ghosts.”

Mugwort represents Zhaobaifu. It is a kind of medicinal herb that can cure diseases. When inserted at the door, it can make the body healthy. It has always been a medicinal plant in ancient my country. The moxibustion method in acupuncture uses mugwort as the main component and burns it on the acupoints to treat diseases. The legend that mugwort can ward off evil spirits has been circulating for a long time, mainly because of its medicinal functions. For example, Zong Mao's "Jingchu Sui Shi Ji" records that "when the rooster is not crowing, people who look like humans are picking mugwort, and they are grabbing it." It is used to treat moxibustion diseases. It is very effective to pick mugwort in the form of a human figure and hang it on the door, which can eliminate poisonous gas. "Generally, people also have the custom of planting mugwort in front and behind the house for good luck. Taiwanese folk also post "noon couplets" on the Dragon Boat Festival, which have the same function as spiritual talismans. Some noon couplets have the following sentence: "Holding a moxa flag in hand to attract hundreds of blessings, hanging a pu sword on the door to kill thousands of evil spirits." The significance of banyan branches among the people is that it can make the body strong and healthy. There are also local customs of hanging pomegranates, garlic or mountain peony. Garlic can remove evil and treat insect poisons; mountain peony prescriptions can cure madness; pomegranate flowers are hung over doors to avoid yellow nests. Pomegranate flowers are the flower of this season and also have the function of curing diseases. Pomegranate peel is a common traditional Chinese medicine. There is another story about the relationship between Pomegranate Flower and Huang Chao. During the Huang Chao Rebellion, Huang Chao once passed by a village and happened to see a woman carrying an older child on her back and holding a younger one by the hand. Huang Chao was very curious and asked why. The woman didn't know Huang Chao, so she just said that because Huang Chao came and killed her uncle's whole family, leaving only this lifeline, she had no choice but to sacrifice her own flesh and blood to save her uncle's flesh and blood if she couldn't take care of both. Huang Chao was greatly moved after hearing this, and told the woman that as long as she hung pomegranate flowers on the door, she could avoid Huang Chao's disaster.

Hiding in the Dragon Boat Festival is a custom during the Dragon Boat Festival, which refers to bringing newly married or married daughters home to celebrate the festival. It is called "Zang Wu" for short, also known as "Zang Dragon Boat Festival". It is customary to regard May and May 5th as evil months and evil days, and many things need to be avoided, because there is a custom of taking daughters home to hide in the Dragon Boat Festival. This custom seems to have been formed in the Song Dynasty. Lu You's poem "Feng Sui" contains the sentence "Yangqiang wine and baskets compete to welcome women, and drums and dragon boats are sent to compete with gods." "Jia Jing Long Qing Zhi" also records: "The married daughter is summoned back to celebrate the festival." Also, "Luanzhou Chronicles": "When a newly married woman welcomes her home at the end of the moon, it is called 'hiding in the Dragon Boat Festival'".

The Dragon Boat Festival rain is a folk custom of fortune-telling every year. It is believed that if it rains during the Dragon Boat Festival, it is unlucky; otherwise, it is auspicious. This kind of popular belief already existed in the Song Dynasty. Chen Yuanliang's "Sui Sui Guang Ji" quoted from "Sui Yuan Lu": "On the fifth day of May, if people expose the medicine, there will be no disasters. If it rains, ghosts will expose the medicine, and people will get sick. This is a proverb in central Fujian." Xu Yueqing's "Ci Yun Shu" The annotation of "Li Shizhou Fu Dragon Boat Festival" says: "People in Linchuan say that when it rains on the Dragon Boat Festival, ghosts will cause disasters and disasters." The annotation of Zhao Huaiyu's poem in the Qing Dynasty also quoted the proverb "No rain on the Dragon Boat Festival means a good year."

"Dragon Boat" Races and sacrifices to Qu Yuan and Cao E'

The word dragon boat was first seen in the fifth volume of the ancient pre-Qin book "The Biography of Emperor Mu": "The emperor rode a bird boat and a dragon boat floated on the swamp. "In advance of "Nine Songs of Xiangjun", "I am riding a flying dragon to the north today, and I am on my way to the Dongting", and "the stone is shallow, and the flying dragon is graceful." Scholars also believe that "flying dragon" is a dragon boat. "Xiangjun" is A poem describing a Hunan people riding a dragon boat and sinking a jade pendant into the river (similar to throwing a trace into the river) to mourn a certain historical figure.

This coincides with the "soul boat" and the image of the Chu State's "Silk Painting of Figures Yulong", which can be confirmed by each other. "Records of the Years of Jingchu" records: "On May 5th, it is called the Yulan Festival... On this day, there is a race to gather miscellaneous medicines." Since then, there have been countless poems, notes, chronicles and other records of the race in the past dynasties. .

The 3rd Maritime International Dragon Boat Festival in Zhanjiang, Guangdong (race results). Dragon boats are different from ordinary boats, with different sizes and different number of racers. For example, the dragon boat in Huangpu and suburbs of Guangzhou is 33 meters long. There are 100 people on the road and about 80 people on the ground. Nanning dragon boats are more than 20 meters long, and there are about fifty or sixty people in each boat. The dragon boats in Miluo City, Hunan are 16-22 meters long and can hold 24-48 people. The dragon boat in Fuzhou, Fujian is 18 meters long and holds 32 people. Dragon boats are generally long and narrow, with a dragon head on the bow and a dragon tail on the stern. The colors of the dragon head include red, black, gray and other colors, all similar to the head of the dragon lantern, with different postures. It is usually made of wood and painted (it can also be tied with paper or gauze). The dragon tail is usually carved from whole wood with scales carved on it. In addition to the dragon head and tail, the dragon boat is also decorated with gongs and drums, flags or hull paintings. For example, dragon boats in Shunde, Guangdong are decorated with dragon tablets, dragon head and tail flags, handsome flags, couplets, flowers and plants, and umbrellas embroidered with dragon winds, eight immortals and other patterns. Generally, dragon boats do not have so many decorations, and are mostly decorated with various pennants, hanging colors, etc. Ancient dragon boats are also very gorgeous, such as the "Dragon Pool Racing Picture Scroll" (painted by Wang Zhenpeng of the Yuan Dynasty), which depicts dragon boat races. In the picture, the dragon boat's dragon head is high, huge and spiritual, with exquisite carvings, a high-rolled dragon tail, and several layers of dragon body. Double eaves pavilion. If it is realistic, it can prove the beauty of ancient dragon boats. Another example is the dragon boat in Wuhu painted in "Dianshizhai Pictorial: Tracking Qu Zi", which also has a high-headed dragon with a floor above it. In some areas, dragon boats still have ancient customs and are very beautiful.

Before the dragon boat race, the dragon must be invited and sacrificed to the gods. For example, the Guangdong dragon boat takes off from the water before the Dragon Boat Festival, worships the Queen of the South China Sea in the Nanhai Temple, installs the dragon head and tail, and then prepares for the race. They also bought a pair of small paper roosters and placed them on the dragon boat, thinking that they would keep the boat safe (which vaguely corresponds to the ancient bird boats). People from Fujian and Taiwan go to Mazu Temple to worship. Some people offer sacrifices to the dragon's head directly by the river, killing chickens and dripping blood on the dragon's head, such as in Sichuan, Guizhou and other areas.

In Miluo City, Hunan, before the ferry race, one must go to the Quzi Temple to worship the god in the poem, put a red cloth on the dragon head, and then put the dragon head on the boat to race, and both worship the dragon. God, remember Qu Yuan again. In Zigui, Qu Yuan's hometown in Hubei, there are also rituals to worship Qu Yuan. The custom of worshiping Qu Yuan is recorded in "Book of Sui Dynasty: Geography": "It gallops quickly, sings and sings, and vibrates the water and land. The spectators are like clouds." Tang Dynasty Liu Yuxi's "Jingdu Song" notes: "Jingdu Song" It started in Wuling, and now it is held in harmony with each other, and the sound of it is: "Where is it?" It can be seen that worshiping Qu Yuan and dragon boat racing are closely related in the two lakes area. Maybe after the death of Qu Yuan (and Cao E, Wu Zixu, etc.), the local people also used soul boats to send their souls for burial, so this custom existed.

Another example is Zhejiang, where dragon boat races are held to commemorate Cao E. According to "Book of the Later Han·Biography of Women", Cao E died by throwing herself into the river. Folk legend has it that she went down to the river to look for her father's body. Many people worship it in Zhejiang. "Dianshizhai Pictorial: Sacrifice to Cao E" depicts the scene of people in Kuaiji area worshiping Cao E.

"Qing Jia Lu" records the ferry race in Wudi (Jiangsu area) in memory of Wu Zixu. Therefore, Suzhou has the old custom of holding Dragon Boat Festival sacrifices to Wu Zixu and holding a ferry race on the water to commemorate it. There are also ceremonies in Guangxi to commemorate Ma Yuan and in Fuzhou to commemorate the King of Hell and Wang Shenzhi.

Various sacrificial and commemorative rituals are nothing more than lighting incense and candles, burning paper money, and offering chickens, rice, meat, fruits, rice dumplings, etc. Nowadays, these superstitious rituals are rare, but in the past, people worshiped the Dragon Temple in a solemn atmosphere, praying for a good agricultural harvest, good weather, to ward off evil spirits, to avoid disasters, to have everything go as they wished, and for safe boating. In people's words, "for good luck" expresses people's inner good wishes.

When the official race began, the atmosphere was very lively. Tang Dynasty poet Zhang Jianfeng's "Song of the Race": "...the robes on both sides of the bank smell fragrant, and the silver hairpins shine like frost blades. The drum beats three times and the red flag opens; two dragons leap out of the floating water. Thousands of swords fly across the waves, reflecting the shadows. The sound of drums crackles the waves, and the mark is approaching. The two dragons are looking at the mark, and the people on the slope are thunderous. The head of the pole is hung with rainbow lights. The boat in front has won the mark, but the boat behind has lost its momentum. Wai scratch..." These poems vividly describe the magnificent scene of the dragon boat race.

Women usually don't go out, but now they are rushing to see the dragon boats. The silver hairpins shine in the sun; the dragon boats under the command of drums and red flags come at full speed, falling like flying swords, and the drums sound like thunder; at the end there are colorful colorful poles. , as a sign. The dragon boat is approaching the mark quickly... The modern dragon boat competition is basically the same, but the rules are slightly stricter. In recent years, international dragon boat competitions have appeared at home and abroad, attracting athletes from all over the world.

Dragon boating and other activities are also available. For example, dragon boat tours involve paddling dragon boats to nearby familiar villages for fun and gatherings during dragon boat races. Sometimes dragon boats also have various patterns of strokes, which have the meaning of performance. For example, in the dragon boats in Guangzhou, people hold hands and insert the paddles into the water, and then lift them up to make the water splash; the people at the bow and stern of the boat rhythmically stamp their feet to press the boat, making the dragon boat rise and fall like a dragon swimming in the water. In some dragon boats in Yuhang County, Zhejiang, people step down on the dragon's tail so that the dragon's head is raised up, and the rapid waves on the bow of the boat spit out from the dragon's mouth, just like a dragon swallowing clouds and spitting rain.

There are also boat races. For example, "Huainanzi·Benjingxun" "Dragon boat with a bird's head, floating and blowing for entertainment" means rowing the dragon boat and rocking the boat to play music and play on the water. "Mengliang Lu" records that "six dragon boats were playing in the lake" in Hangzhou in the Southern Song Dynasty. There are dragon boats on the lake, which are just part of the painted boat cruise.

Emperors of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties all had the entertainment of watching dragon boats by the water, which was also a game. "Old Book of Tang" records that both Mu Zong and Jingzong "watched the boat race". Volume 7 of "Tokyo Menghua Lu" records the custom of the Emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty watching the dragon boat race in Jinming Pond in the Linshui Palace. Among them, there are colorful boats, music boats, small boats, painting cabins, small dragon boats, tiger-head boats, etc. for viewing and playing music, as well as a large dragon boat that is forty feet long. Except for the big dragon boat, other boats lined up to bid and compete for the ferry as entertainment. This scene is depicted in "Jinmingchi Winning the Bid" by Zhang Zeduan of the Song Dynasty. Another emperor of the Ming Dynasty watched dragon boats in Ziguang Pavilion in Zhongnanhai, and watched the warriors of the imperial archery prison race horses and shoot arrows. In the Qing Dynasty, a ferry race was held at Fuhai in the Old Summer Palace, and Emperors Qianlong and Jiaqing went to watch it.

There is another night dragon boat. In Wujin, Zhejiang, there used to be dragon boat races at night, with small lights hung on all sides for the purpose of racing. Night dragon boats have appeared in Wutong Bridge in Sichuan since 1982. The boats are equipped with electric lights, fireworks, and floating river lanterns, which are brilliant and dazzling. In a few places in Zhejiang, piles of floating flames are set up on the water to allow dragon boats decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations to pass through the flames.

There is also dry dragon boat racing, which is an activity that simulates dragon boat racing on land. For example, "Nanchang Prefecture Chronicle" records: "On May 5th, there is a dry dragon boat, and several people are invited to do it. They pass on the traditional Chinese medicine and drums, filling the thoroughfares. The ladies give money to pray for blessings, and compete with firecrackers to ward off bad luck." Wuyi County, Zhejiang Province. In the past, there was also the custom of pushing the Dragon Boat Festival boat on dry land, and it was also believed that it could ward off evil spirits. In addition, Foshan, Dongguan and Xinyi in Guangdong have the custom of dragon boat racing on dry land. It is actually a kind of dance, but the date is not necessarily on the Dragon Boat Festival. The dry land dragon boats are most spectacular during the autumn colors in Foshan. Another example is recorded in "Huizhou Prefecture Chronicles": "On May 5th, a boat was used to welcome the gods and drive away the epidemic. The boats were made of bamboo and painted in the shape of a loach. They used twelve human gods to carry them around Xu City." There is also a small drought boat. Dragon Boat makes toys for children.

During dragon boat rowing, there are many dragon-like songs that are sung to add to the fun. For example, during dragon boat rowing in Zigui, Hubei, there is a complete singing style. The lyrics and music are based on local folk songs and chants. The singing voice is majestic and exciting, which is the legacy of "raising each other's bows and making peace". Another example is the dragon boat song in Nanxiong County, Guangdong. It is sung after the dragon boat is launched in April and ends at the Dragon Boat Festival. The performance content is very wide. The Dragon Boat Song, which is popular in Guilin, Lingui and other places in northern Guangxi, is sung by all the radiators during the boat race, with someone leading the call. The content of the performance is mostly related to dragon boat racing and Dragon Boat Festival customs, and the singing is grand and moving. "Guangxi Folk Music Anthology" contains the Lingui County (4 Dragon Boat Song) suite. It has a clear and enthusiastic rhythm like a chant, and it must be very moving when sung. Sketch axis of group infant fighting in the Jin Dynasty of the Qing Dynasty

" Fighting with grass on the Dragon Boat Festival"

There was no such thing as fighting with grass before the Han Dynasty ("A Study of Popular Social Things in the Past Dynasties·Shang Binghe"). The origin is unknown, but it is generally believed to be related to the emergence of traditional Chinese medicine. In order to survive, their lives were monotonous, and they entertained themselves by fighting insects, grasses, and beasts in their spare time. After the legendary "Shen Nong tasted a hundred herbs" became the basis of traditional Chinese medicine, groups would go out to the countryside every Dragon Boat Festival to collect herbs and put moxa moxa on their doors. It has become a custom to relieve the poisonous epidemic caused by the summer heat. After the harvest, competitions are often held to tell each other the names of flowers and grasses in the form of a duel. The one with the most wins, which combines the fun of plant knowledge and literary knowledge; children use petioles to tell each other the names of flowers and grasses. Hook, pinch and pull each other, the one who breaks is the loser, and then fight with another leaf. Bai Juyi's "Guan'erxi" poem says: "Play in the dust or fight with grass, and have fun all day long."