Why do you eat zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival? Who can tell me?

Dragon Boat Festival on the fifth day of May;

Realgar shochu calamus sword;

A triangular palm wrapped in glutinous rice,

There are all kinds of sachets hanging on the chest.

Eating zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional custom in China, but it is also a custom in some countries and regions in the world. Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanyang, Chongwu, Dragon Boat Festival, Chongwu, Duanjie, Pujie, Tianzhong, Poet's Day and Daughter's Day.

There are many theories about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. In the past, it was said that Qu Yuan of Chu committed suicide by throwing himself into the Miluo River on May 5th, and the Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th was held in memory of him. However, the research of modern scholars proves that many activities of the Dragon Boat Festival existed long before Qu Yuan. According to Song Gaocheng's Origin of Things, the Dragon Boat Festival originated in the Spring and Autumn Period. Gou Jian, the king of Yue, rowed dragon boats to practice sailors, which shows that the Dragon Boat Festival originated earlier. Some people think that this festival is the Dragon Totem Festival, which comes from either the summer solstice or the evil day. Some people think that this is to commemorate Wu Zixu's investment in Qiantang River and Cao E's theory of saving his father. Some people think that the Dragon Boat Festival on May 5th is related to meson push. Others say it's ancestor worship. Similar legends are varied. The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival may be a ritual to worship the water god or the dragon god. Later, according to their own history and culture, various localities made their own explanations on the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, among which commemorating Qu Yuan is a popular saying. ?

(1) Worship God?

Dragon Boat Festival is a festival for offering sacrifices to gods, including Qu Yuan, Cao E, the silkworm god, the agricultural god, Zhang Tianshi and Zhong Kui. ? Cao E is one of the gods who sacrificed on May 5th in Zhejiang, and the related historical legends are still circulated among the people. Because she is a model of filial piety and advocated by the rulers of the Eastern Han Dynasty, she is publicized and associated with the dragon boat. Jiande, Zhejiang believes that the white snake stole the fairy grass and saved Xu Xian and the people, so the local people offered sacrifices to the white snake on the Dragon Boat Festival. ?

Another evil spirit of Dragon Boat Festival is Zhong Kui. On that day, every family bought a map of Zhong Kui and hung it on the door to exorcise ghosts. Every family was proud of painting Zhong Kui. Zhong Kui can not only play ghosts, but also drive away epidemics. Zhong Kui was superstitious in early ancient times, such as the patterns on bronze mirrors. Zhang Tianshi and Zhong Kui are both historical figures of Taoism. Taoism is good at exorcising demons, and the fifth day of May is a poisonous month, so it will naturally bring Taoist immortals to the festival, so this is a belief that rose later. ?

Quzhou, Zhejiang Province takes May 5th as the birthday of Shennong, the drug king, and uses this day to predict the quality and quality of medicinal materials. Dragon Boat Festival has a long history and is very popular all over the country. ?

In addition, in Fuzhou, the god of plague is called the Great, and people build temples to worship him. In May, the Dragon Boat Festival held the emperor's birthday, offering sacrifices to animals and singing operas. Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province celebrated the festival of thanking the silkworm god. ?

(2) Dragon boat rowing

Dragon boat rowing is an important activity of the Dragon Boat Festival. Most counties and cities in China row dragon boats on the Dragon Boat Festival. The so-called dragon boat is a combination of dragon and boat, which is a kind of rowing boat marked by dragon. Dragon boat rowing is not only popular in Han areas, but also very active in minority areas. For example, Zhuang, Dai and Miao all hold grand dragon boat races. During the Songkran Festival in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, the Dai people also held a dragon boat race, which was magnificent and crowded with people, with national characteristics. In addition, the Dragon Boat Festival is also celebrated and marked in Korean, Bai, Tujia, Lahu, Mulao, Jing and Li areas, among which Manchu is also called "Double Five Festival".

The dragon boat is characterized by its dragon head and tail, as well as various decorations, such as shrines, flags, colored lights, drums and gongs. Dragon Boat Festival should be built in advance, sailors should be trained, and dragon boat races should be held on holidays. Dragons and dragons must be invited before the competition, and then the competition will be held. ?

The main purposes of dragon boat rowing are: first, to pray for a bumper harvest in agriculture, and second, to drive away the plague. In some places, dragons are also used to send ghosts, that is, to ward off evil spirits and avoid epidemics. There is a popular paper symbol in Guangdong. The book says that "fire officials are born to eliminate all kinds of disasters, and gossip water is used to suppress fierce disasters", which is painting.

It's for dragon boats, aiming at eliminating disasters and seeking happiness. ?

(3) eat zongzi?

Zongzi, also known as corn millet. The method of millet is to soak the leaves of zongzi, that is, bamboo leaves, spread glutinous rice, fill them with meat, bean paste and jujube kernels, wrap them into triangles or quadrangles, and steam them before eating. Why do you eat zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival? Legend is an offering to commemorate the historical figure Qu Yuan. In fact, it is very late to eat zongzi in memory of Qu Yuan. Before that, Zongzi was a food in summer or summer solstice, and it was also used to worship water gods or dragons. Later, it was attached to commemorate Qu Yuan, which has been passed down to this day. ?

The characteristics and activities of the Dragon Boat Festival are fully embodied in a folk song:

On May 5th, it was Duanyang. ?

The door is full of incense. ?

Eat zongzi and sprinkle sugar. ?

The dragon boat went into the water happily. ?

Eggs are also an important food for the Dragon Boat Festival. Before the children get up in the morning, adults send eggs to their mouths, thinking that eggs have the function of fitness, which is also related to the myth of laying eggs. ?

Realgar rice wine is a kind of medicine-realgar added to wine, which contains arsenic trioxide. Folk believe that applying realgar wine to the forehead and ears can prevent insects and strengthen the body. People in Fenghua, Zhejiang Province think that medicinal materials around the Dragon Boat Festival are the most effective in treating diseases, and they must collect more for the elderly, so it is called the Medicine Festival. On the morning of Dragon Boat Festival, ethnic minorities in Northeast China will go out to pick calamus and mugwort leaves. You have to catch a frog in the water, and then put a piece of ink in the frog's mouth to let it dry. Once someone is found to have edema, apply frog ink to the wound, but it must be made during the Dragon Boat Festival. ?

(4) Avoid five poisons?

Folk beliefs believe that May is a poisonous month and the fifth day is a poisonous day. There are five poisons, namely snakes, centipedes, scorpions, lizards and toads. This month is full of disasters, even children will die, so we must take various measures to prevent it, including taking medicine and religious means to avoid the harm of the five poisons. In order to deal with the five poisons, fans should be given during the Dragon Boat Festival, and children should wear five poisons to wrap their bellies, sachets, catch toads, put up dragon boat festival symbols, wash blue soup and so on. Married women in Tianjin should take their children to the riverside to "hide in the afternoon", throw things such as cloth-clothed people and cloth dogs into the water to ward off evil spirits, and replace disaster with small cloth-clothed people, commonly known as dog bites disaster. ?

First, wear plants to ward off evil spirits. At first, Acorus calamus and Ai Hu were planted here. Most people use it for their own use, and some people in the city sell calamus and wormwood along the street. Later, pomegranate flowers, garlic and dragon boat flowers were added, which were collectively called the five ends in the sky and could be used together with the five poisons. ?

Secondly, the Dragon Boat Festival sells five tiger flowers and wears protective gear. These decorations, also known as sachets, are painted on children's foreheads with realgar wine in some areas to ward off evil spirits. In some places, five poison suits and five poison vests are specially sewn to wear protective clothes for children. In addition, there are Yong 'an symbols to hold Zhong Kui games. There are also many paper-cuts to prevent the five poisons among the people, such as the affected gourd, the calamus sword gourd in Ai Hu, and the five poisons in Tiger Town. ?

Third, the custom of visiting the Temple of Heaven. This is mainly popular in old Beijing. In addition, a pomegranate flower party was held.

Vietnamese zongzi

Vietnamese zongzi is round and square wrapped in banana leaves. They believe that the round zongzi represents the sky, the square zongzi represents the earth, and the heaven and the earth are integrated and thriving. Eating zongzi on the Dragon Boat Festival can achieve good weather and good harvests.

Zongzi in Myanmar

Burmese people love to eat zongzi, but it has nothing to do with the Dragon Boat Festival. Zongzi is made of glutinous rice as the main raw material and ripe bananas and coconuts as fillings. This kind of zongzi is fragrant and intoxicating.

Zongzi in Cambodia

Zongzi in Cambodia is called "Bao Zongzi". Instead of wrapping it with plant leaves, it takes a cloth bag and fills it with glutinous rice, red beans and red dates layer by layer, then ties it tightly and steams it. When eating, peel off the cloth bag and cut it with a knife.

Zongzi in Thailand

Jiaozi wrapped by Thai people is as small as an egg. Because they are wrapped in green leaves, they are light green after steaming and taste delicious.

Japanese zongzi

In Japan, people make zongzi not with glutinous rice, but with rice flour. The shape of zongzi is also different from that of China. They are used to making zongzi into the shape of a hammer.

North Korea zongzi

North Korea's zongzi is called "wheel cake". People cook fresh and tender mugwort leaves, mash them and add them to rice flour, and then make them into the shape of wheels. It tastes delicious.

Zongzi in Philippines

Filipinos like to wrap long zongzi, which tastes different from China and Zhejiang. Zongzi is also a necessary food for Filipinos to celebrate Christmas.

Zongzi in Indonesia

Indonesians pay special attention to zongzi stuffing, and often add mushrooms and onions to chopped fresh meat to make zongzi stuffing. It is smooth and delicious when eaten, and it is not greasy to eat more.

Zongzi in Costa Rica

Zongzi in Costa Rica is made of specially processed sticky corn flour as the main raw material, with chicken, beef, carrots, potatoes and so on. Some of them are also poured with beef juice, and then wrapped in fresh banana leaves into a flat square.

Mexican zongzi

Mexicans also have the custom of eating zongzi, which they call "Dagmar". The main ingredient is coarse-grained corn flour, stuffed with sliced meat and pepper, and then wrapped with corn leaves or banana leaves, which has a unique flavor.

Zongzi in Peru

Peruvians eat zongzi at Christmas, and the whole family sit together to celebrate Christmas and eat zongzi. Even the married daughter rushed back to her parents' house to taste zongzi.