Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival, also called Duanwu or Tuen Ng Festival, is a traditional holiday observed annually over 2,000 years in China to commemorate Qu Yuan (340-278 BC), an ancient Chinese patriotic poet. Originated from south China, Dragon Boat Festival enjoys higher popularity in southern areas, such as Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian Provinces.

Dragon Boat Festival Facts
Chinese: 端午节[duān wǔ jié]
Date: 5th day of 5th lunar month
History: more than 2,000 years
Traditions: eating Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), dragon boat race

Dates
Defined by Chinese lunar calendar, the date of Dragon Boat Festival falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month according to lunar calendar, so the Gregorian date varies every year, and hereunder is the holiday schedule from 2018 to 2023.

Year /Date
2018 /Monday, June 18
2019 /Friday, June 7
2020 /Thursday, June 25
2021 /Monday, June 14
2022 /Friday, June 3
2023 /Thursday, June 22

Origin & History
Why is the Dragon Boat Festival celebrated? With a history over 2,000 years, it used to be a hygiene day when people would use herbs to dispel diseases and viruses. However, the most popular origin is closely related to the great poet Qu Yuan in the Warring States Period (475 – 221BC). To engrave his death on the fifth day on the fifth lunar month, people celebrate the festival in various ways. Great people like Wu Zixu and Cao E also died on the same day, so in certain areas, people also commemorate them during the festival.

Legend of Qu Yuan
As a minister in the State of Chu - one of the seven Warring States, Qu Yuan was a patriotic poet who wrote a lot of works to show his care and devotion to his country. Composing masterpieces like Li Sao (The Lament), he was regarded as one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. After he was exiled by the king, he chose to drown himself in the river rather than seeing his country invaded and conquered by the State of Qin. He died on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, thus people decided to commemorate him on that day every year.

CAWM celebrates the Dragon Boat Festival with food booth volunteer recognition every year. The event is usually held in a local park around mid-June. It's a picnic style event, and outdoor games and prizes are part of the event.