Dragon Boat
Dragon Boat Festival traditionally remembers the poet Qu Yuan with river races and leaf-wrapped rice.
Three customs of the day
Race the boats
Crews paddle to a drumbeat. Legend says boats rushed out to find Qu Yuan after he drowned himself in the Miluo River.
Wrap the zongzi
Sticky rice is tied up in leaves and boiled. Northern ones lean sweet with red dates. Southern ones lean savory with pork and egg yolk.
Hang the herbs
Early summer was traditionally a time to ward off harm. Doors got mugwort and calamus. Children got five-color thread and herb sachets.
The road is long, and I will search high and low.
Buying for the festival
Realgar wine is an old Dragon Boat custom, but realgar is an arsenic mineral. Do not drink it. Zongzi with pork or egg yolk may be stopped at US customs, so declare any you carry in.
Dragon Boat
Hand-picked pieces are on the way.
Good to know
What is the Dragon Boat Festival about?
By tradition it honors Qu Yuan, a poet of the state of Chu who drowned himself around 278 BC. People race boats and eat zongzi. Some regions remember other figures, such as Wu Zixu. Its summer health customs may be older.
What do you say on Dragon Boat Festival?
Many people say duanwu ankang, a wish for peace and health, instead of Happy Dragon Boat Festival. The day carries remembrance and warding off illness, so the calmer wish feels right.
When is Dragon Boat Festival 2027?
Dragon Boat Festival falls on June 9, 2027, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The date moves each year because it follows the lunar calendar.
