CULTURE READERS HOLIDAYS The Dragon Boat Festival Level

CULTURE READERS: HOLIDAYS The Dragon Boat Festival Level 3–②

A Special Chinese Festival – Ⅰ What do people think of when they think of China? Many people think of the Great Wall, pandas, or dragons when they think of China. How are dragons related to China? Many famous stories and works of art about dragons come from China.

A Special Chinese Festival – Ⅱ What is China’s Dragon Boat Festival about? • • In this festival, boats with dragon heads on them race. The festival is either in the late spring or early summer. The date is set by the lunar calendar, so it changes from year to year. Whenever the festival happens, it is a holiday in China.

Dragons, Boats, and a Poet – Ⅰ What does the Dragon Boat Festival celebrate? • • • The festival began long ago, but the focus of the festival changed over time. Long, long ago, dragon boats were used in war, and then people started racing with them. People raced the boats on rivers (which were connected to dragons). Why was the festival celebrated in the fifth month of the lunar year? • • Floods usually happen in this part of the year, and that is when bugs that carry disease come out. People prayed to the river gods (dragons) to keep them healthy and to help plants grow.

Dragons, Boats, and a Poet – Ⅱ How did the festival change over time? Around 300 BCE, the famous Chinese poet Qu Yuan killed himself. The town where he lived lost a war, so he walked into a river and drowned. People loved this poet, so they went out in dragon boats to try and save him. The people threw rice in the river so that fish wouldn’t eat the poets body. How is the date of the Dragon Boat Festival related to Qu Yuan? The poet killed himself on the fifth day of the fifth month, so celebrating the dragon boat festival on this date remembers this sad event.

Ready to Race – Ⅰ What is a dragon boat? • • A dragon boat is a small boat that is moved by men rowing it. A dragon boat needs a team of 22 people or more. What do all of the people in the dragon boat do? Most of the team for a dragon boat rows the boat, but one person on the team is a drummer. The drummer sits at the front of the boat. He or she hits the drum to help the rowers all row together. Who joins dragon boat teams these days? People on dragon boat teams can be from schools, companies, or any group.

Ready to Race – Ⅱ Where do teams get their dragon boats for racing? Sports companies make dragon boats for racing these days. The boats are made in a special way to race well. Things used by the rowers are also special for racing. All of these things are expensive, so dragon boat teams may spend a lot of money on their boats and equipment.

Festival Traditions – Ⅰ Is the Dragon Boat Festival just a big race? No, there are other things related to the festival that people enjoy. What is zongzi? • • This is a special food related to the festival that makes people remember Qu Yuan. It is made with rice wrapped in bamboo leaves. It makes people think about the rice that was thrown in the river to keep the fish from eating Qu Yuan’s body. The tradition remembers the death of Qu Yuan.

Festival Traditions – Ⅱ Are there different kinds of zongzi? • • • Yes, people can put different things inside the rice when making zongzi. Sweet zongzi has red beans inside of it. Other kinds of zongzi can have meat or vegetables inside of it. Do people make their own zongzi at home? Yes, some people do, but it’s easy to find zongzi for sale during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Festival Traditions – Ⅲ What is another tradition related to the Dragon Boat Festival? Scented silk bags are another tradition related to this festival. These bags are used as door or wall decorations. Dried plants inside the bags give them a special scent. Why are dried scented plants put in these silk bags? The plants in the bags are like medicine from long ago. People thought that the scent of these plants kept away bad spirits and kept people healthy. Do the dried plants in these bags really work? The scent of the plants in these bags does keep away bad bugs. Bites from such bugs made people sick, so the scented plants do keep people healthy in a way.

See It for Yourself Can people only enjoy this festival in China? • • • No, these days many cities around the world hold their own races for the Dragon Boat Festival. There are big celebrations across Asia. They are also held in Australia, Canada, the US, and Europe. The traditions related to the Dragon Boat Festival Many countries have dragon boat festivals today. Dragon boat racing in Singapore

Glossary v drown v. The boy won’t drown with that life jacket. to almost drown v fancy adj. The couple chose a fancy cake for their wedding. a fancy dress

Glossary v palace n. I wonder what it is like to live in a palace. an ancient palace v poet n. We saw a statue of the poet Shakespeare. a well-known poet

Glossary v port n. Wash your hands after touching raw pork. roast pork v row v. They rowed a boat on the pond in the park. to row down the river

Glossary v scent n. The flowers have a nice scent. a strong scent v serious adj. A serious businessman should dress for success. a serious artist

Glossary v spirit n. Some people think that a spirit never dies. human spirit v war n. Good communication between countries will prevent war. to go to war

Quiz 1. Which month might someone enjoy the Dragon Boat Festival? (a) March (b) June (c) August (d) October

Quiz 2. What does this festival celebrate or remember? (a) A dragon god (b) A girl who drowned (c) A great war (d) A writer

Quiz 3. Why did people throw rice into the river when Qu Yuan died? (a) A god told them to do it. (b) Because they were happy. (c) So fish would eat it. (d) Because the rice was bad.

Quiz 4. About how many people are needed to row a dragon boat? (a) One (b) Two (c) Five (d) Twenty

Quiz 5. How are dragon boats today different than old dragon boats? (a) They are made of special things. (b) They are much smaller. (c) They do not have drums. (d) They don’t look like dragons.