TheDragonBoatFestival,the5thdayofthe5thlunarmonth,hashadahistoryofmorethan2,000years.ItisusuallyinJuneintheGregoriancalendar.

端午节是古老的传统节日，始于中国的春秋战国时期，至今已有2000多年历史。

Therearemanylegendsabouttheevolutionofthefestival,themostpopularofwhichisincommemorationofQuYuan(340-278BC).QuYuanwasministeroftheStateofChuandoneofChina'searliestpoets.InfaceofgreatpressurefromthepowerfulQinState,headvocatedenrichingthecountryandstrengtheningitsmilitaryforcessoastofightagainsttheQin.However,hewasopposedbyaristocratsheadedbyZiLan,andlaterdeposedandexiledbyKingHuai.

据《史记》“屈原贾生列传”记载，屈原，是春秋时期楚怀王的大臣。他倡导举贤授能，富国强兵，力主联齐抗秦，遭到贵族子兰等人的强烈反对，屈原遭馋去职，被赶出都城，流放到沅、湘流域。

Inhisexileddays,hestillcaredmuchforhiscountryandpeopleandcomposedimmortalpoemsincludingLiSao(TheLament),TianWen(HeavenlyQuestions)andJiuGe(NineSongs),whichhadfar-reachinginfluences.In278BC,heheardthenewsthatQintroopshadfinallyconqueredChu'scapital,sohefinishedhislastpieceHuaiSha(EmbracingSand)andplungedhimselfintotheMiluoRiver,claspinghisarmstoalargestone.Thedayhappenedtobethe5thofthe5thmonthintheChineselunarcalendar.

他在流放中，写下了忧国忧民的《离骚》、《天问》、《九歌》等不朽诗篇，独具风貌，影响深远(因而，端午节也称诗人节)。公元前278年，秦军攻破楚国京都。屈原眼看自己的祖国被侵略，心如刀割，但是始终不忍舍弃自己的祖国，于五月五日，在写下了绝笔作《怀沙》之后，抱石投汨罗江身死，以自己的生命谱写了一曲壮丽的爱国主义乐章。

Afterhisdeath,thepeopleofChucrowdedtothebankoftherivertopaytheirrespectstohim.Thefishermensailedtheirboatsupanddowntherivertolookforhisbody.Peoplethrewintothewaterzongzi(pyramid-shapedglutinousricedumplingswrappedinreedorbambooleaves)andeggstodivertpossiblefishorshrimpfromattackinghisbody.Anolddoctorpouredajugofreaglarwine(Chineseliquorseasonedwithrealgar)intothewater,hopingtoturnallaquaticbeastsdrunk.That'swhypeoplelaterfollowedthecustomssuchasdragonboatracing,eatingzongzianddrinkingrealgarwineonthatday.

传说屈原死后，楚国百姓哀痛异常，纷纷涌到汨罗江边去凭吊屈原。渔夫们划起船只，在江上来回打捞他的真身。有位渔夫拿出为屈原准备的饭团、鸡蛋等食物，“扑通、扑通”地丢进江里，说是让鱼龙虾蟹吃饱了，就不会去咬屈大夫的身体了。人们见后纷纷仿效。一位老医师则拿来一坛雄黄酒倒进江里，说是要药晕蛟龙水兽，以免伤害屈大夫。后来为怕饭团为蛟龙所食，人们想出用楝树叶包饭，外缠彩丝，发展成棕子。

Dragonboatracingisanindispensablepartofthefestival,heldalloverthecountry.Asthegunisfired,peoplewillseeracersindragon-shapedcanoespullingtheoarsharmoniouslyandhurriedly,accompaniedbyrapiddrums,speedingtowardtheirdestination.FolktalessaythegameoriginatesfromtheactivitiesofseekingQuYuan'sbody,butexperts,afterpainstakingandmeticulousresearch,concludethatdragonboatracingisasemi-religious,semi-entertainingprogramfromtheWarringStatesPeriod(475-221BC).Inthefollowingthousandsofyears,thegamespreadtoJapan,VietnamandBritainaswellasChina'sTaiwanandHongKong.NowdragonboatracinghasdevelopedintoanaquaticsportsitemwhichfeaturesbothChinesetraditionandmodernsportingspirit.In1980,itwaslistedintothestatesportscompetitionprogramsandhassincebeenheldeveryyear.Theawardiscalled"QuYuanCup."

赛龙舟，是端午节的主要习俗。相传起源于古时楚国人因舍不得贤臣屈原投江死去，许多人划船追赶拯救。他们争先恐后，追至洞庭湖时不见踪迹。之后每年五月五日划龙舟以纪念之。借划龙舟驱散江中之鱼，以免鱼吃掉屈原的身体。竞渡之习，盛行于吴、越、楚。其实，“龙舟竞渡”早在战国时代就有了。在急鼓声中划刻成龙形的独木舟，做竞渡游戏，以娱神与乐人，是祭仪中半宗教性、半娱乐性的节目。后来，赛龙舟除纪念屈原之外，在各地人们还付予了不同的寓意。此外，划龙舟也先后传入邻国日本、越南等及英国。1980年，赛龙舟被列入中国国家体育比赛项目，并每年举行“屈原杯”龙舟赛。

ZongziisanessentialfoodoftheDragonBoatFestival.ItissaidthatpeopleatethemintheSpringandAutumnPeriod(770-476BC).Inearlytimes,itwasonlyglutinousricedumplingswrappedinreedorotherplantleavesandtiedwithcoloredthread,butnowthefillingsaremorediversified,includingjujubeandbeanpaste,freshmeat,andhamandeggyolk.Iftimepermits,peoplewillsoakglutinousrice,washreedleavesandwrapupzongzithemselves.

Otherwise,theywillgotoshopstobuywhateverstufftheywant.ThecustomofeatingzongziisnowpopularinNorthandSouthKorea,JapanandSoutheastAsiannations.

端午节吃粽子，这是中国人民的又一传统习俗。粽子，又叫“角黍”、“筒粽”。其由来已久，花样繁多。据记载，早在春秋时期，用菰叶(茭白叶)包黍米成牛角状，称“角黍”;用竹筒装米密封烤熟，称“筒粽”。一直到今天，每年五月初，中国百姓家家都要浸糯米、洗粽叶、包粽子，其花色品种更为繁多。从馅料看，北方多包小枣的北京枣粽;南方则有豆沙、鲜肉、火腿、蛋黄等多种馅料，其中以浙江嘉兴粽子为代表。吃粽子的风俗，千百年来，在中国盛行不衰，而且流传到朝鲜、日本及东南亚诸国。

OnDragonBoatFestival,parentsalsoneedtodresstheirchildrenupwithaperfumepouch.Theyfirstsewlittlebagswithcolorfulsilkcloth,thenfillthebagswithperfumesorherbalmedicines,andfinallystringthemwithsilkthreads.Theperfumepouchwillbehungaroundtheneckortiedtothefrontofagarmentasanornament.Theyaresaidtobeabletowardoffevil.

端午节小孩佩香囊，传说有避邪驱瘟之意，实际是用于襟头点缀装饰。香囊内有朱砂、雄黄、香药，外包以丝布，清香四溢，再以五色丝线弦扣成索，作各种不同形状，结成一串，形形色色，玲珑可爱。