Updated: Tue Feb 12 2002 by Pher Chi Khing
In ancient times, Chinese religious festivals revolves around agricultural activities, agriculture being the main source of wealth for the country. Different agricultural activities at different time of the year correspond with the festivals being celebrated.
Generally, there are six major festivals celebrated every year. "Three for the living" and "Three for the Dead". Festivals for the living were the Lunar New Year, Dragon Boat festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival. Festival for the dead were The Pure Brightness Festival, the Festival of Hungry Ghosts and Song Han Yi.
The origins of the Dragon-Boat Festival is unclear. One of the most widely accepted one will be the story of Quan Yu. Historically speaking, the Dragon-Boat festival was meant for worshipping of the river deity so as to bless the people with a good harvest.
History
Historically, these festivals were intertwined with the livelihood of the general population, and the fate of the country and her rulers. A good or bad year will not only determine the material conditions of the general population,it will also manifest to the general population the "Mandate of Heaven".
These festivities also symbolises humankind struggle against the nature forces, as the Festival began as an occasion for driving off evil spirits and pestilence and for finding peace in one's life. This struggle is particularly acute during periods where there is an imbalance in the yin, the female force and the yang, the male force in nature.
Chinese philosophy has always stress that too much of either force bears the roots of decay and reversal. The fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which correspond to late June and early July on the Gregorian Calendar, is the time of summer solstice and the longest day of the year, a period of excessive yang.
Here, humankind needs to divert their attacks from these nature forces to some object, or a scapegoat. Ancient dragon boat races were dangerous, as boats might capsize, and not everyone is a good swimmer. However, these 'accidents' are always deem as pre-determined, as the god expected a victim as a sacrifice, thus explained the lack efforts to save the poor victim.
Legend
During the "Warring States Period" (third century B.C.), in the state of Chu, there lived a patriotic poet by the name of Qu Yuan. He was deeply concerned with the fate of his country at that time, and tried to persuade the king to do his best for his country. However, the progressive stand that he took was opposed by forces of corruption, which result in his banishment from the country.
Quan Yu wandered in deep despair and growing melancholy over the vicinity of Xiapu and Lingyang. Here, he produced many odes showing his concern for his country which is a summary of his life and activity, ideals and achievements, a farewell to the world, his country, and his king.
In 278 B.C., sixty-two-year-old Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River near present day Changsha, Hunan Province. People in his country pitied him and threw bamboo tubes filled with rice into the river as a sacrifice offered to him. The sacrifice to Quan Yu is now forgotten, but the fishermen's boats still start out to offer the sacrifice. The bamboo tubes sacrifice later evolves into present day 'zong zi', where it lost much of it's sacrificial significance as it is also eaten as a everyday snack.
Bibliography
Schuman, Henry, 1992, Chinese Festivals. New York, Wolpram Eberhard.
Latsch, Marie-Luise, 1985, Traditional Chinese Festivals. Singapore, Graham Brash.
Qi Xing, Ren Jiazhen, Yang Guanghua, 1998, Folk Customs at Traditional Chinese Festivities. Beijing, Foreign Language Press.
http://www.ntnu.edu.tw/mtc/dragon.htm
http://www.alvin.org/dragon/history.htm
http://www.alvin.org/dragon/zongzi.htm