Astronomical and Dragon Totem Worship
The festival originated from ancient people's reverence for celestial phenomena. In mid-summer, the main star of the Azure Dragon constellation, "Antares" (Heart 2), reaches its highest and most central point in the southern sky, considered an auspicious day of "the dragon soaring in the sky.Ancient tribes in the Wu-Yue region worshipped the dragon as a totem and held sacrificial ceremonies on this day, making it originally a "festival of the dragon"Scholar Wen Yiduo also argued in his research that the festival was a day for dragon totem worship among ancient tribes in the Wu-Yue area
Seasonal Exorcism and Disease Prevention (The "Evil Day" Theory)
The fifth lunar month is mid-summer, characterized by heat, humidity, and the proliferation of pests and diseases. Ancient people considered it an "evil month," with the fifth day being an "evil day"To ward off misfortune and disease, people engaged in various protective and health-preserving activities, such as hanging mugwort and calamus, wearing scented sachets, drinking realgar wine, and bathing with herbal infusionsThese customs represent ancient public health practices and survival wisdom.
Commemoration of Historical Figures
As history progressed, legends commemorating several historical figures were incorporated into the festival, greatly enriching its cultural significance:
Commemorating Qu Yuan: This is the most widespread and influential legend. It is said that Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet of the Chu State during the Warring States period, drowned himself in the Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Local people raced boats to search for him and threw rice into the river to prevent fish from eating his body, which later evolved into the customs of dragon boat racing and eating zongzi.
Commemorating Wu Zixu: In the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, the festival is also said to commemorate Wu Zixu, a loyal official of the Wu State during the Spring and Autumn period.
Commemorating the Filial Daughter Cao E: This legend, recorded in the Eastern Han dynasty stele for Cao E, commemorates the young girl who drowned while searching for her father's body in the river.
II. Main Sacrificial and Folk Activities
The sacrificial activities of the Dragon Boat Festival are closely linked to its origins and are diverse in form, with core themes of praying for blessings, warding off evil, and commemorating sages.
Sacrifices to the Dragon Deity and Sages
Dragon Boat Racing: Initially a sacrificial activity of the ancient Yue people to worship water or dragon deities, it later merged with the legend of Qu Yuan, becoming the festival's most iconic event. Before races, ceremonies to invoke the dragon and offer sacrifices to deities are often held.
Worship of Local Deities and Heroes: In some regions, sacrifices have distinct local characteristics. For example, in Qiao'ao, Zhuhai, Guangdong, villagers clean and parade statues of deities like "General Cai Er" to commemorate a historical victory and pray for peace
Exorcism and Disease-Prevention Rituals and Customs
Hanging Mugwort and Calamus: Believed to ward off evil and pests, these plants are hung on doors to protect the household
Wearing Scented Sachets and Five-Colored Threads: Sachets filled with aromatic herbs are worn to dispel miasma and attract blessings. Five-colored threads, known as "long-life threads," are tied around children's wrists or necks to ward off illness and ensure safety
Drinking Medicinal Wine and Bathing: Drinking realgar wine or calamus wine and bathing in water boiled with mugwort and other herbs (known as "bathing in orchid soup") are traditional practices for disease prevention and health preservation.
Other Characteristic Customs
Gathering Herbs: Folk belief holds that herbs gathered on this day, when the sun's energy is strongest, are most potent for treating skin diseases and dispelling evil
"Avoiding the Fifth Month": In ancient northern China, where the fifth month was considered "evil," there was a custom of sending young children to their maternal grandparents' home to "avoid the evil"
Eating Zongzi: Originally called "horned millet," zongzi may have had sacrificial and apotropaic meanings. It later became the festival's most symbolic food due to the Qu Yuan legend, with variations across north and south China
In summary, the origins of the Dragon Boat Festival are a process of (diverse integration), rooted in ancient practices of adapting to nature and combating seasonal epidemics, and enriched by dragon totem worship and the commemoration of historical figures Its sacrificial activities have evolved from primitive religious rites into comprehensive folk celebrations that blend faith, commemoration, entertainment, and health preservation, profoundly reflecting the cultural wisdom and spiritual pursuits of the Chinese nation.