端午节英语作文：端午节的由来dragon boat festival
the dragon boat festival， also called the duanwu festival， is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the chinese calendar. for thousands of years， the festival has been marked by eating zong zi （glutinous rice（糯米）wrapped to form a pyramid using bamboo or reed leaves） and racing dragon boats.
the festival is best known for its dragon-boat races， especially in the southern provinces where there are many rivers and lakes. this regatta（赛舟会）commemorates the death of qu yuan ， an honest minister who is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself in a river.
qu was a minister of the state of chu situated in present-day hunan and hubei provinces， during the warring states period （475-221bc）（战国时期）。 he was upright， loyal and highly esteemed for his wise counsel that brought peace and prosperity to the state. however， when a dishonest and corrupt prince vilified qu， he was disgraced and dismissed from office. realizing that the country was now in the hands of evil and corrupt officials， qu grabbed a large stone and leapt into the miluo river on the fifth day of the fifth month. nearby fishermen rushed over to try and save him but were unable to even recover his body. thereafter， the state declined and was eventually conquered by the state of qin.
the people of chu who mourned the death of qu threw rice into the river to feed his ghost every year on the fifth day of the fifth month. but one year， the spirit of qu appeared and told the mourners that a huge reptile（爬行动物）in the river had stolen the rice. the spirit then advised them to wrap the rice in silk and bind it with five different-colored threads before tossing it into the river.
during the duanwu festival， a glutinous rice pudding called zong zi is eaten to symbolize the rice offerings to qu. ingredients such as beans， lotus seeds（莲子）， chestnuts（栗子）， pork fat and the golden yolk of a salted duck egg are often added to the glutinous rice. the pudding is then wrapped with bamboo leaves， bound with a kind of raffia and boiled in salt water for hours.
the dragon-boat races symbolize the many attempts to rescue and recover qu's body. a typical dragon boat ranges from 50-100 feet in length， with a beam of about 5.5 feet， accommodating two paddlers seated side by side.
a wooden dragon head is attached at the bow， and a dragon tail at the stern（船尾）。 a banner hoisted on a pole is also fastened at the stern and the hull is decorated with red， green and blue scales edged in gold. in the center of the boat is a canopied shrine behind which the drummers， gong（铜锣）beaters and cymbal（铙钹）players are seated to set the pace for the paddlers. there are also men positioned at the bow to set off firecrackers， toss rice into the water and pretend to be looking for qu. all of the noise and pageantry creates an atmosphere of gaiety and excitement for the participants and spectators alike. the races are held among different clans， villages and organizations， and the winners are awarded medals， banners， jugs of wine and festive meals.
dragon boat race traditions at the center of this festival are the dragon boat races. competing teams drive their colorful dragon boats forward to the rhythm of beating drums. these exciting races were inspired by the villagers valiant attempts to rescue chu yuan from the mi lo river. this tradition has remained unbroken for centuries.
tzung tzu a very popular dish during the dragon boat festival is tzung tzu. this tasty dish consists of rice dumplings with meat, peanut, egg yolk, or other fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves. the tradition of tzung tzu is meant to remind us of the village fishermen scattering rice across the water of the mi low river in order to appease the river dragons so that they would not devour chu yuan.
ay taso the time of year of the dragon boat festival, the fifth lunar moon, has more significance than just the story of chu yuan. many chinese consider this time of year an especially dangerous time when extra efforts must be made to protect their family from illness. families will hang various herbs, called ay tsao, on their door for protection. the drinking of realgar wine is thought to remove poisons from the body. hsiang bao are also worn. these sachets contain various fragrant medicinal herbs thought to protect the wearer from illness.
what's your plan for dragon boat festival?
as a chinese, i was really ashamed of having a little knowledge of dragon boat festival. perhaps i was born in northern city, though my city is nearby sea, it has been built a u port which i can only see cargo ships and cant see the sweeping ocean. so i have never see the dragon boat contest since i was born. so the dragon boat festival is just a holiday for eating zong zi. my mother made zong zi when i was a child. because there was no supermarket, we couldnt buy finished product from market. however, now, we can buy anything in supermarket, so my mother didnt make them anymore. the boat festival began to fade out my mind.
in reality, young people began to have a bug to celebrate foreign festivals, such as christams, saint valentines day, april fools day, some people also celebrate easter in church. talk about dragon boat festival, its the same as some foreign conventional festivals, such as witchs day in czech. people burned the witchs puppet so as to welcome spring. some people are willing to celebrate foreign festivals because they like alien culture. and vice versa, foreigners who like china also concern about chinese traditional culture.
after new holiday regulation, we have three holidays during the dragon boat festival. so many people will choose this time to travel. people who lived in xiamen are able to visit xiapu or wu yi mountain, these tourist attractions are in fujian province,which is suit a short tirp. but id like to stay at home for my decorate painting. i decide to draw two canvases about christmas, its really a big project. then ill hang them on the new house wall. i must start it now, or i cant finish them before christmas eve. but i preceive its a little difficult to draw them in such a hot season.
