Traditional Chinese Festivals - Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival, also called Double Fifth Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth moon of the lunar calendar. It's on June 16th, 2010. 
It is one of the most important Chinese festivals, the other two are the Autumn Moon Festival and Spring Festival (Chinese New Year).
The origin of this summer festival centers around a scholarly government official named Chu Yuan. He was a good and respected man, but because of the misdeeds of jealous rivals he eventually fell into disfavor in the emperor's court.
Unable to regain the respect of the emperor, in his sorrow Chu Yuan threw himself into the Mi Luo river. Because of their admiration for Chu Yuan, the local people living adjacent to the Mi Luo River rushed into their boats to search for him (the origin of dragon boat race) while throwing zongzi (pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves) and eggs into the waters to appease the river dragons.

Although they were unable to find Chu Yuan, their efforts are still commemorated today during the Dragon Boat Festival. 


Find out this interesting book about what happened with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo 
because you really don't want to mess with the girl with the dragon tattoo.