端午节的英文是什么

Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is a traditional and important festival in China. It falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, usually in June. It has a history of more than 2,000 years and is widely celebrated in China and some other countries in Asia.

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The festival commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan (340 BC – 278 BC) who lived in the state of Chu during the Warring States Period. Qu Yuan was a loyal and wise official who devoted himself to serving his state, but was exiled by the corrupt officials. He wrote many poems expressing his love for his homeland and his people's sufferings. In 278 BC, when the capital of the state of Chu was captured by the state of Qin, Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo River out of despair and grief. The local people were so moved by his death that they rowed their boats to search for his body and tossed rice dumplings into the river to keep the fish and shrimp from eating his body. This is how the traditions of dragon boat racing and eating zongzi (a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in reed leaves) began.

Dragon boat racing is a highlight of the festival. It is a popular sport in China and all over the world now. A dragon boat is a long and narrow canoe-shaped boat painted with a dragon's head and tail, and decorated with colorful ribbons and streamers. Each boat is powered by about 20-30 paddlers who sit in pairs facing forward and a drummer sitting on the bow who beats a drum to guide the paddlers' rhythm. The boats race against each other on a course marked by buoys or flags, and the winning team is cheered by the spectators and rewarded with prizes.

Zongzi is another important part of the festival. It is said that the rice dumplings represent the love and respect that the people had for Qu Yuan, and also serve as a tribute to the ancestors. To make zongzi, sticky rice is soaked overnight, and then mixed with fillings of meat, beans, nuts, or fruits. The mixture is wrapped in bamboo leaves or reed leaves that are tied with string, and boiled for several hours until the rice is cooked and the fillings become aromatic.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, people also hang up calamus and wormwood, wear perfume pouches, and drink realgar wine as a way to repel diseases and evil spirits. Some regions even have their own unique customs, such as bathing in a special herbal soup, climbing a high pole to grab a flag, or reciting traditional poems.

Nowadays, the Dragon Boat Festival is not only a time for cultural and sports activities, but also a chance for family reunions, social gatherings, and commercial promotions. People can buy various kinds of zongzi and snacks, or watch dragon boat races and performances in parks, riversides, or stadiums. The festival has become a symbol of Chinese culture and a bridge of friendship between nations.