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China Elevator Stories
Why you shouldn’t wish a Happy Dragon Boat Festival and what to say instead
The story behind Dragon Boat Festival is not a happy one.
09/06/2016
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
Today is Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated annually on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, which usually falls in June.
Last year, when we left our apartment early on Dragon Boat Festival morning, we found mugwort leaves hanging on the outside of our door and car. Our then 11-month-old son soon found himself decorated with the leaves as well, and five-colored silk threads were placed around his arms, legs, and neck.
My in-laws had been up since the early hours of the morning preparing Zongzi (sticky rice cakes stuffed with jujube) and even came over to our apartment to hang up mugwort outside. Mugwort is believed to keep diseases away (its smell is said to repel mosquitoes), and it’s also placed in little bags on the silk threads.
While Dragon Boat Festival is often seen as a joyful occasion to celebrate with family, the story behind it is far from happy.
Dragon Boat Festival commemorates the life of the poet and statesman Qu Yuan (340-278 BC) from the State of Chu. Qu Yuan was an advisor to the King of Chu, but after falling from grace, he was exiled. When the State of Chu was eventually invaded by the State of Qin, Qu Yuan, devastated by the news, drowned himself in the Miluo River on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. People rowed boats to search for his body but couldn’t find him. To prevent fish from consuming his body, they threw sticky rice cakes into the water, hoping the fish would eat them instead.
Because of this tragic story, wishing someone a “Happy Dragon Boat Festival” is considered inappropriate by some. Instead, it’s more respectful to wish someone good health during the festival by saying “端午安康” (duānwǔ ān kāng), which translates to “Wishing you good health for Dragon Boat Festival.”
So, I wish you a healthy Dragon Boat Festival!