Festivals: Dragon Boat Racing (June)

Type: reference material

Dragon boat racing is an ancient Chinese custom that is over 2,400 years old. Festivals or races take place all over the world at different times during the year. Originally, it took place on the riverbanks of southern China as a fertility rite to ensure good crops. The race was held to prevent bad luck and to encourage rain. The object of worship was the dragon.

It also commemorates the death of the patriotic Chinese poet and Minister of State, Chu Yuan. He protested about the corrupt government and was stripped of his post. He was unhappy and wandered though the countryside. One day he disappeared into the Mi Lo River. His devoted followers raced out to try and save him, beating drums to scare away the fish. They also threw rice dumplings into the river so the fish would eat them rather than the poet. They were too late. It is also believed the rice dumplings were thrown into the river as a sacrifice to Chu Yuan's spirit. 

Rice dumplings and tzungtzu is now eaten on this day in commemoration. The races take place to remember the effort the fisherman and local people made to save the poet. It is a time for protection from evil and disease for the rest of the year.

--
Joseph Wang

My Blog： http://myengteacher.blogspot.com/

~~Seize the Day
Live the Day~~成功屬於堅持到最後的人

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Festivals: Moon festival (28th September )

Type: reference material

This is an important festival in Chinese culture and is a time for family reunions. When the full moon rises, families sit together to watch it, eat moon cakes and sing moon poems. It is also a romantic festival. Couples watch the moon and eat moon cakes, but if they are apart, they can sit and watch the moon at the same time so it feels like they are together.

No one is sure of where this festival originates but one popular belief is that it comes from the ancient legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e. Earth had ten suns which each shone down on the earth in turn, but one day all ten shone together. The heat was unbearable for the crops and for the people. It is also believed that fierce beasts ran wild on the earth, terrorizing the people. Hou Yi, a strong archer but a tyrannical ruler destroyed nine of the suns, saving one after requests and shouts from his people. The beasts and the terrible drought disappeared. To save the people from her husband's tyrannical rule, Chang'e stole the elixir of life from her husband (that he had stolen from a goddess). She drank it and was able fly to the moon where she escaped her husband and has lived in a palace there ever since. Hou Yi loved his wife so much, even though she escaped him, and decided not to shoot the moon.

--
Joseph Wang

My Blog： http://myengteacher.blogspot.com/

~~Seize the Day
Live the Day~~成功屬於堅持到最後的人

.★ * ★ .
.*★ *. * ★
★ *
★ .'
'*..
'` -...祝你每天都 happy!!!!