Dragon Boats Festival

On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, one of the oldest traditional festivals in China is celebrated. Although the Dragon Boat Festival is most commonly associated with dragon boat races and eating zòngzi (sticky rice dumplings), its origins are complex and appear to predate both organized Taoism and many later explanations.

Traditionally, the fifth lunar month was considered a dangerous period, being associated with disease outbreaks, excess heat, and poisonous insects and animals, and so the people developed protective customs such as making offerings to local spirits.

Many researchers see dragon boat races as survivals of ancient rites connected with river deities and agricultural fertility because dragons were associated with rivers, rain, fertility, and water spirits. The festival is not originally a Taoist festival like the birthdays of major Taoist figures, but it does reflect ideas central to Taoist thought, such as the connection between humans and nature.

The Dragon Boat Festival is generally considered a Chinese cultural festival rather than a specifically Taoist one, although Taoists can and do observe it. The fifth lunar month occurs near the height of yang energy in the yearly cycle, traditionally viewed as a moment where yang has reached great strength, but what reaches an extreme begins to transform.

Today, the Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated with a mix of public holiday, cultural heritage, family traditions, and local folk observances. The form may vary across China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Chinese communities, but some customs are pretty widespread, like the dragon boat races (long boats decorated as dragons race across rivers, lakes, and harbors), eating zòngzi, family gatherings, and wearing or placing charms. It’s become so popular that a Dragon Boat Festival may be taking place in your area.