Are there any myths and legends about the Dragon Boat Festival?
Myth and legend of Dragon Boat Festival: the origin of hanging kudzu vine on Dragon Boat Festival
Legend has it that a Yao woman, with a five-year-old Zhuang child and a three-year-old child, fled for her life to a mountain covered with kudzu vine during the war. Chasing troops, there is no way out. The woman left her child in tears and prepared to climb the mountain and escape with the Zhuang children on her back. Just then, an old man with white hair and silver beard came up to Grandma Yao from the mountain along the worried kudzu vine. Ask the woman why she ran away with her own children and Zhuang children. The woman said that Zhuang Xiaoer's parents had been killed, and the purpose of saving him was to avenge him in the future.
The old man with white hair and silver beard was very moved to see the Yao grandmother give herself up for herself. He said to her, "Don't panic, climb along this thickest and longest old kudzu vine." Then he shook kudzu twice, and a mountain road appeared beside him. Grandma climbed up the mountain road with Zhuang children on her back. Hardly had they climbed to the top of the mountain when the officers and men chased them to the foot of the mountain. Grandma looked back down the hill. Strangely, the mountain road was gone, and she only saw kudzu vine all over the mountain. She couldn't bear to see the officers and men spoil their own flesh and blood, so she turned around and ran to the opposite mountain. The officers and men saw that the steep cliff was covered with kudzu vine and had no choice but to retreat.
When grandma went down to the foot of the mountain, it was even more strange that her children were drinking mountain spring water there. Grandma picked up the child and asked, "Son, why are you here?" The child replied, "It was the old man who flew here on my back." Grandma asked, "Where is the old man?" The child looked around and couldn't find the old man with white hair and silver beard. Naturally, they won't know that the old man with white hair and silver beard is a fairy. ?
Grandma carried a five-year-old Zhuang child on her back and led a three-year-old child on her way. After a short walk, they came to a mountain. There is a stockade in this mountain, and many refugees flock to it. "ABBA!" The three-year-old child, sharp-eyed, recognized his father at a glance in the crowd and ran to let his father pick him up. Grandma felt strange and asked her husband why he came here. He said: "We were scattered in the war. I couldn't find you, so I followed the refugees here." He also asked his wife how she came, and she told the story that the white-haired old man met them on the road and rescued them with kudzu vine. Her husband was shocked and said, "Oh, we were also saved by this old man with white hair and silver beard." ?
People are talking about it. An old woman said, "that old man with white hair and silver beard is really our savior!" " An old man said, "Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. I think it must be Qu Yuan, a Han nationality. Let's commemorate him in the future! "The oldest elder said," Every year after the Dragon Boat Festival, kudzu vine will be hung at the door of every household in Yaozhai to ward off evil spirits and keep peace. When we see kudzu vine, we will think of Xian Weng's kindness in saving lives, so that the descendants of the Yao family will always remember him! " ?
In this way, this custom has been passed down from generation to generation.
Other legends about the Dragon Boat Festival
About the legend of Dragon Boat Festival, it is equally meaningful to share the above myth and other legends below.
1, Qu Yuan threw himself into the river?
Qu Yuan's idea of carrying out political reform was never realized, and he was finally exiled. Later, when Chu died, Qu Yuan came to the Polo River on the fifth day of May, picked up a stone and threw himself into the river. ?
Wu Zixu's body was thrown into the river?
Fu Cha, the prince of Wu, gave Wu Zixu a sword to kill himself because he listened to slanders. Wu Zixu said to people before he died, "After I die, I will gouge out my eyes and hang them on the east gate to watch the Vietnamese army enter the city and destroy Wu." Fu Cha was furious and ordered Wu Zixu's body to be thrown into the river on May 5th. ?
3. Did the filial daughter Cao E save the drowning father?
Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river and didn't see her body for several days. At that time, Cao E, the filial daughter, was only fourteen years old, crying day and night by the river. 17 days later, he also threw himself into the river on May 5, and fished out his father's body five days later. This is a myth. ?
4. Does White Snake drink realgar wine during Dragon Boat Festival? ?
Dragon Boat Festival is coming, and people drink realgar wine to ward off evil spirits. Xu Xian forced the white snake to drink realgar wine according to the method of Fahai religion. White snake can't drive Xu Xian away. After drinking, she immediately revealed the true colors of the snake, and Xu Xian was scared to death at once.
The origin of the Dragon Boat Festival
After sharing the relevant legends of the Dragon Boat Festival, let's briefly share the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.
Dragon Boat Festival, originally a festival to eliminate diseases and prevent epidemic, is held every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. There are many theories about the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival.
In 278 BC, Qin Jun invaded Chu, and Qu Yuan could not bear to abandon his motherland. On May 5th, he threw himself into the Miluo River. After Qu Yuan's death, the people were deeply saddened, so they sacrificed to Qu Yuan on the fifth day of May every year. There is also a saying that during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, officials of the State of Wu were bribed by the State of Yue and falsely accused Wu Zixu, causing Fu Cha to put Wu Zixu to death and throw his body into the river on May 5, so the Dragon Boat Festival is also a day to commemorate Wu Zixu; It is also said that the Dragon Boat Festival is to commemorate the filial daughter Cao E.. According to legend, Cao E's father drowned for many days while fishing. Cao E, who was only fourteen years old, threw himself into the river to save his father on May 5, and carried his father's body out five days later, which was passed down as a myth.
The customs of the Dragon Boat Festival
The customs of the Dragon Boat Festival are: eating zongzi, tying colored silk thread, drinking realgar wine, rowing dragon boats, hanging wormwood and calamus, playing polo, eating salted duck eggs, wearing sachets, eating cakes and jogging. I'm from Guangxi, and our custom of Dragon Boat Festival is to eat zongzi and race dragon boats.
As a sacrifice, Zongzi appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, but it was not until the Jin Dynasty that Zongzi was officially designated as Dragon Boat Festival food. In this period, in addition to glutinous rice, Alpinia oxyphylla was also added as the raw material for making zongzi, and the boiled zongzi was called "educational zongzi".
Dragon boat race is one of the customs of China Dragon Boat Festival, and it is also one of the most important festivals and folk activities. It widely exists in the south of China, and there are also dragon boat races in cities near rivers, lakes and seas in the north, and most of them are held in the form of dragon boat rowing and dragon boat dancing.
So what are the customs of the Dragon Boat Festival? Welcome to share the following message ~ ~