Why do we eat zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival? The meaning and origin of eating zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival

Why do we eat rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival? What is the meaning of eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival? Who do we commemorate by eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival? Next, let’s learn some information about eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Why do we eat Zongzi during the Dragon Boat Festival?

Eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival has become a specific festival custom. People from both the south and the north eat rice dumplings on this day. There are many reasons for eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival, and the most widely circulated one is related to the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. According to the "Biographies of Qu Yuan and Jia Yi" in "Records of the Grand Historian", when the patriotic poet Qu Yuan heard the news that the Qin army had broken through the capital of the Chu State, he was filled with grief and indignation, and his heart was broken. He resolutely wrote his last work "Huai Sha", hugged a stone and jumped into the Miluo River, sacrificing his life for his country. After Qu Yuan's death, the people of Chu State were extremely sad and flocked to the Miluo River to pay tribute to him. In order to prevent his body from being bitten by fish and shrimp in the river, they threw rice dumplings into the river. From then on, on the fifth day of May every year, there was a custom of eating rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The meaning of eating zongzi on Dragon Boat Festival

According to historical records, rice dumplings appeared as early as the Spring and Autumn Period. In the Jin Dynasty, rice dumplings were officially designated as food for the Dragon Boat Festival. The original meaning of zongzi was to be used for worshiping ancestors and gods, because the ancients believed that May 5th was an evil month and an evil day, and sacrificial activities must be held on May 5th every year to eliminate plague, drive away evil spirits and pray for good luck. As time goes by and things change, people still eat rice dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival as a way of inheriting tradition. There are many types of zongzi in different regions, but the meaning of eating zongzi is the same.