Chapter 301 It’s the Dragon Boat Festival Again
"Qu Zi wrote Chu Sao in his poem, holding a knife that could kill people. Ai Xiao was too strong, Jiao Lan was too little, and he jumped towards Wanli Tao."

Today is the Dragon Boat Festival. The whole country is celebrating and businesses, schools and government agencies have all taken the day off.

During this traditional festival, Liu Zhiye's family gathered together again and returned to their hometown, Liujiazhuang, to celebrate the holiday together.

The Dragon Boat Festival, which was also known as the Duanyang Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Double Fifth Festival, Double Fifth Festival, Tianzhong Festival, etc. in the past, is a traditional festival of the Han nationality and is known as one of the four major traditional festivals of China along with the Spring Festival, Qingming Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Dragon Boat Festival is not only a traditional Chinese festival, it also has a wide influence in the world. Some other countries and regions also have activities to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival on this day.

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar every year. It is a major folk festival that combines worshiping gods and ancestors, praying for blessings and warding off evil spirits, celebrating, entertaining, and eating.

This festival originated from the ancient Chinese people's worship of natural celestial phenomena and evolved from the dragon sacrifice in ancient times.

During the Dragon Boat Festival in midsummer, the Blue Dragon soars to the center of the south, the most "central" position of the year, just as the fifth line of the Qian Gua in the Book of Changes says: "A flying dragon in the sky."

The Dragon Boat Festival is an auspicious day with "flying dragons in the sky". The dragon and dragon boat culture have always been present in the history of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Due to the vast territory of the Xia Kingdom and the large number of ethnic groups with great differences, although it is the Dragon Boat Festival, the customs are not exactly the same.

Speaking of the Dragon Boat Festival, it is the most lively festival in the summer in the old capital. People are accustomed to calling the Dragon Boat Festival "May Dragon Boat Festival".

The Dragon Boat Festival in the old capital is also called the Daughter's Day.

Married women have to return to their parents' home to visit relatives during the Dragon Boat Festival.

When visiting relatives, young wives with colorful silk threads tied around their arms and red velvet flowers on their chests became a common sight on the Dragon Boat Festival.

On the Dragon Boat Festival, old Beijing residents have the custom of traveling to avoid disasters, which the ancients called "traveling away all diseases."

Volume 2 of "A Brief Account of the Scenery of the Imperial Capital" states, "Before noon on May 5, people go to the Temple of Heaven to avoid poison. After noon, they ride horses under the walls of the altar. There is no custom of tying silk strips of glutinous rice dumplings to the waist, but people also eat glutinous rice dumplings. There is no custom of racing boats, but people still compete in games."

Since the Ming Dynasty, old Beijingers would get up early in the morning on the fifth day of May to go to the Temple of Heaven.

Worship the gods and rely on their power to avoid poison; you can't rest in the afternoon either, you have to go to the Goldfish Pond, Gaoliang River, Jishuitan, Houhai and other places for fun.

On that day, a pomegranate flower show was held at the Temple of Heaven. It turned out that the Dragon Boat Festival was the time when pomegranate flowers bloomed in the capital. Every household would dress up their daughters beautifully and wear a pomegranate flower on their heads.

Today, the old Liu family's house is bustling with activity, and the whole family, young and old, are mobilized together to welcome the arrival of this special day.

The women in the family wrapped the rice dumplings skillfully. The emerald green reed leaves fluttered in their hands, turning into exquisite little packages as if by magic.

The men were busy making fire, cooking, and chopping wood to make fire; their figures busy shuttling back and forth in front of the stove formed a warm family picture.

The whole yard was filled with laughter, and it was bustling and prosperous, as if the whole world was infected by this warm atmosphere.

The Dragon Boat Festival in the capital area begins to get busy from the first day of May. People go to the pond to pick reed leaves and cut horseweed on the field to prepare for making rice dumplings on the Dragon Boat Festival.

In rural areas of the Beijing area, rice dumplings are mainly made of rhubarb rice and sorghum rice; they are then topped with red dates or bean paste, wrapped in reed leaves and tied with horseweed; they are mostly shaped like oblique quadrilaterals or triangles, and are eaten with sugar. These are very different from the rice dumplings in the south.

Whenever it was time to make rice dumplings, the adults would get up early in the morning to wash rice, pull out the lotus leaves, wash red dates, and make bean filling, and they were very busy.

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After everything was ready, Liu Zhiye's entire family sat around a few small square tables, chatting about family matters and wrapping rice dumplings in a happy atmosphere.

The children at home are the happiest. Today, the primary schools and kindergartens in the village also chose to take a day off.

This made the little monkeys very happy. They were like little birds that had just gained freedom. They happily flew around the house, the streets and the fields. Their laughter and cheers were full of childlike innocence and joy.

On this day, children in the capital area also like to play a traditional game called Zuodou Baicao.

In the past, people would go to the suburbs to collect herbs during the Dragon Boat Festival, and fighting with herbs was a leisure game that the ancients played with each other to amuse themselves while taking a break from collecting herbs during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The gameplay of Dou Baicao is a bit like pulling out roots, so everyone should look for flowers and grasses with very resilient stems, which will invisibly allow people to identify more flowers and plants.

The "contestant" who can defeat all the herbs will become the recognized "King of Herbs" of the day.

There is another way to play Dou Baicao, which is to compete to see who picks the most varieties and novelty of flowers and plants.

……

While the family was steaming the zongzi, the children rushed back to their respective homes. At this moment, they gathered in front of the stove, waiting for the zongzi just out of the pot, the fragrance wafting in the air, and their mouths watering.

In addition to the common custom of eating rice dumplings in other places, the old Beijing people also have unique customs.

Liu Zhiye remembered that when he was a child, the happiest thing on this day was hanging peach branches.

Go to the fields early in the morning to pick a handful of fresh peach branches. Then cut a paper gourd out of colored paper and stick it on the peach branch, making sure the mouth is facing downwards. Then hang it high under the eaves, commonly known as "returning disasters".

After the peach branch gourd is hung, the villagers will go to the fields to cut mugwort.

On this day every year, my grandfather would get up early in the morning before the sun rose, take a sickle, go to the field, and cut a handful of mugwort.

I heard from my grandfather that the best time to cut mugwort is on the morning of May 5th before the sun rises.

The mugwort picked at this time has the best effect. It is said that the mugwort picked at this time gathers the pure yang energy of heaven and earth.

Therefore, every year on this day, the villagers would usually get up early at four o'clock to cut mugwort.

When I was a child, the old man would cut the mugwort and hang it up before the sun rose.

Regarding the custom of hanging mugwort, the older generation said that it was to eliminate plague, drive away evil spirits and pray for good luck. Hanging mugwort and peach branches at the door is like pasting a talisman that can ward off evil spirits.

Moreover, dried mugwort has the effect of curing diseases and making the body healthy.

In these years, villagers would dry the mugwort cut on the Dragon Boat Festival and then store it. They could use it to remove moisture from the body when they had pain in their waist and legs.

If there are women in confinement at home, they can also use it for fumigation, which can have a good effect of sterilization and itching, and eliminate gynecological diseases.

In addition, the older generation believes that May is a dangerous time of the year when illness is most likely to occur, so there are many measures to prevent family members from getting sick.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, people would hang a special plant - mugwort - at their doorsteps for protection.

Therefore, on this day every year, every household will go to cut mugwort and keep it for use.

Mugwort also has a very practical function, which is that it can repel mosquitoes.

In summer, people like to sit in the courtyard to enjoy the cool and chat, but there are many mosquitoes in the courtyard, so everyone will light a string of mugwort. Due to its special smell, mugwort has become the nemesis of mosquitoes.

The Dragon Boat Festival in the old capital city is about expelling poisons and evil spirits, and eliminating disasters and resolving difficulties, and it embodies people's yearning for a better life.

After the peach branch gourds and mugwort are hung up, the adults still have one most important thing to do.

Liu Zhiye remembers that when he was a child, the Yongding River would flood every year. Whenever there was a flood, the children in the village would be very happy.

Whenever there is a flood, the water of the Yongding River will be washed clean, and the children will go down to the river to catch fish and shrimps, and they are very happy.

Unlike in recent years, the climate is so dry that rain is a luxury.

Moreover, the older generation in the village often said that floods could take away the plague, but if there were no floods, everyone would easily get sick.

Therefore, on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, the elders in the family would tie colorful silk threads on the wrists and ankles of the children, and wait until the Yongding River flooded for the first time before throwing the silk threads into the flood.

Although floods have rarely occurred in recent years, the children in the village still carry this colorful silk thread.

When it rains heavily in the future, throw this colorful silk thread into the Yongding River.

This means taking away all diseases and plagues, commonly known as "avoiding plague."

In the "Dragon Boat Festival" of Zhangchaqu, which was popular in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, there is a very vivid description of the customs of the old Beijing people celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival: "On the Dragon Boat Festival in May, talismans are sold in front of the street, realgar wine is sold during the Girls' Festival, cherries, mulberries, rice dumplings, and the five poisonous animals - fiery pomegranate flowers bloom on the auspicious trees, branches of mugwort and calamus hang on the doors, children have the image of a king and a tiger written on their heads, and girls wear colorful bats in their hair."

It was the custom that adults would wrap colorful threads around children's hands and feet during the Dragon Boat Festival. The Liu family was no exception. Liu Zhiye's aunt had already prepared colorful threads and wrapped them around Xiaoxian's hands and feet.

Looking at the colorful silk threads in her hands, the little girl's eyes sparkled with joy, and the corners of her mouth raised, revealing a bright smile.

She danced with excitement, as if she possessed the most precious treasure in the world.

"Giggle..."

"Grandma is the best... Xianxian likes grandma the most..."

The aunt was so happy when she heard this that she couldn't stop smiling. "Baji!" She kissed the little girl's face hard. "Oh! This little mouth is so sweet. Who does it look like?"

The uncle got jealous when he heard this and teased the little girl on purpose, "Oh my! Do you like grandpa, baby?"

The little girl was quirky and naughty. As soon as she rolled her eyes, she wanted to dive into her grandmother's arms.

The uncle smiled slightly, revealing a hint of pride. He took out a rattle from his pocket, which he made by himself, and every detail revealed the exquisite craftsmanship.

"Oh, there's no baby to call grandpa, then who should I give this baby to?"

The little girl was immediately attracted by the beautiful rattle and called out sweetly, "Grandpa, give it to Xianxian..."

The uncle smiled and teased her, "How about the great grandfather?"

The little girl immediately held her uncle's cheek and kissed him, "Grandpa is the best, Xianxian likes him..."

"Hahaha..." The whole family laughed when they saw this. She was the happy pill of the family.

In addition to these, the little girl had gained a lot today. She also wore colorful rice dumplings and had a little tiger made of silk in her pocket.

This is another custom of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in the old capital. Girls are given sachets to wear during the Dragon Boat Festival. Legend has it that this is meant to ward off evil spirits and plague.

This "five-color rice dumpling" sachet is made of medicinal plants with various aromas. It can be used as a sachet and can also prevent diseases.

"Five-color rice dumplings" are actually objects that are used to ward off evil spirits. The inner shell is made of cardboard and is generally about 2 cm in size. The outside is wrapped with colorful silk threads and connected into a string.

During the Dragon Boat Festival, it is sold in the streets and alleys of the capital, and many young women at home will also make it themselves.

In addition to the colorful rice dumplings, some skillful young wives or girls also make little tigers out of silk.

Some people also sew cherries, mulberries, eggplants, beans, celery, peppers, pears, persimmons, oranges, etc. These small fruits are strung together, which is exquisite and lovely. Some are three-dimensional, some are flat, competing for novelty.

Wearing it on the Dragon Boat Festival not only shows your exquisite craftsmanship, but also adds a festive atmosphere of praying for blessings and longevity. You can also give this ornament to your loved one as a token of love.

Another interesting custom is that old Beijingers are accustomed to drinking realgar wine during the Dragon Boat Festival.

The ancient Chinese called May the "evil month". During the Dragon Boat Festival, people not only drank realgar wine, but also sprinkled it "between the bed and the curtains to avoid insect poison."

It is said that the custom of drinking realgar wine on the Dragon Boat Festival is also very interesting.

In the story of "The Legend of the White Snake", there is a scene where the White Snake reveals her true form after drinking realgar wine.

Therefore, the old Beijingers believed that pests such as snakes and scorpions could be killed by realgar wine.

However, if adults can drink realgar wine, what should children do?

I tell you, there is a way.

That is, for children who are not yet of drinking age, adults will use a brush dipped in realgar wine to draw the word "king" on the child's forehead, making the child look like a mighty little tiger.

Or you can apply realgar wine on the ears, nose, palms and soles of feet to drive away evil spirits, disinfect and prevent diseases, and keep insects away.

Some families even carve calamus into shapes of "little people" or "little gourds" and hang them around children's necks for good luck.

Some people also use calamus roots to make wine, thinking that drinking it can make them healthy and long-lived. The leaves of calamus are shaped like swords, and folk alchemists call them "water swords", saying that they can "slash thousands of evil spirits".

In addition, there is a custom of pasting gourd flowers to ward off the "five poisons". People in Beijing like gourds because gourd is a homonym of "fortune and luck".

Gourds are cut out of red rough paper with the "Five Poisonous Creatures" pattern placed inside. They are called "gourd flowers" and have been sold on the streets by vendors since the end of April in the lunar calendar.

It is said that gourd flowers can ward off the "five poisons". They are posted on May 1st and picked and thrown away at noon on May 5th, which is called "throwing away disasters".

In addition to pasting gourd flowers, there are also "Cinnabar Judge" with Zhong Kui as the theme, and "Tianshi Fu" with spells written on yellow paper. The purpose is to drive away evil and poison.

According to the "Yanjing Sui Shi Ji", "Every time the Dragon Boat Festival comes, the shops use yellow paper with a red seal, or draw images of the Heavenly Master, Zhong Kui, or the Five Poisonous Spells, and hang them for sale. People in the capital compete to buy them and stick them on the middle door to ward off evil spirits."

The older generation in Beijing often say "the first month is good, the fifth month is bad". The climate in May is hot and humid, so in the past there was a custom of inviting the Heavenly Master Talisman and the Zhong Kui statue to ward off evil spirits.

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The most important part of the Dragon Boat Festival is eating rice dumplings and eggs cooked with them.

Liu Zhiye likes to eat eggs cooked in this way the most. If he eats them freely, he can eat more than 20 eggs in one meal.

The Liu family’s rice dumplings are ready. This year, the family has made quite a few varieties; there are the glutinous rice dumplings eaten by people in the south, as well as the traditional Beijing rice dumplings made with glutinous rice, yellow rice, and jujubes, commonly known as “two-rice dumplings.”

However, the "two-rice rice dumplings" must be wrapped the day before the Dragon Boat Festival so that they will be chewy enough when eaten the next day.

"Two-rice Zongzi" is made of yellow rice and small red dates wrapped in reed leaves. The small red dates used to make zongzi are most authentic ones produced in Miyun County.

In addition to eating rice dumplings, the Dragon Boat Festival food that cannot be missed is of course Liujiazhuang cherries, which are known as the "best taste in western Beijing."

During the Dragon Boat Festival, cherries are available in large quantities and naturally become the fresh fruit of this time.

At this time, in addition to sweet cherries, Liujiazhuang also has sour mulberries.

Old Beijingers pay attention to eating black mulberries during the Dragon Boat Festival. Don't underestimate this humble fruit.

Black mulberries are slightly cold in nature and enter the heart, liver, and kidney meridians. They have the effects of nourishing blood and yin, promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, and moistening the intestines. It is said that eating them will not attract mosquitoes and flies.

In addition, people in Beijing have a traditional Dragon Boat Festival food, which is eating "Five Poison Cakes".

The Five Poison Cake is a round pastry specially made by the people of the old capital for the Dragon Boat Festival. This custom does not exist in other places.

In fact, it is a rose cake. The patterns of the five poisonous animals (snake, centipede, scorpion, spider, and toad) are printed on the small cake or made into the shapes of the five poisonous animals with a mold. People in the capital say that it is very lucky to eat the five poisonous animals cake in May.

Before every Dragon Boat Festival, neighbors, relatives and friends would send each other rice dumplings as well as cherries, mulberries, water chestnuts, peaches, plums, five-poison cakes and roses to express their wishes for getting rid of epidemics and disasters.

Generally speaking, ordinary families in the old capital like to offer "Five Poison Cakes" similar to peach cakes, and remove them on the fifth night; middle-class families put jujubes, glutinous rice, rice dumplings and fresh fruits instead, and remove them once a day to prevent them from rotting.

It is easier to get things done with Liujiazhuang as your backer. Two days before the Dragon Boat Festival, Liu Zhiye donated money and supplies and asked the villagers to help make a large number of rice dumplings, eggs, five-poison cakes, cherries, and mulberries as gifts, which he gave to relatives, friends, colleagues, and leaders.

Although this gift is not expensive, it is full of Liu Zhiye's sincerity and care. This is also his usual practice. He will give gifts during every festival.

Although it is not a valuable item, it is a token of his appreciation. Therefore, his behavior is well received by his friends and colleagues.

After lunch, the event that adults and children look forward to the most is dragon boat racing.

When it comes to dragon boat racing, people tend to think of it as something that happens on the big rivers in the south, but is relatively less common in the north.

In fact, dragon boat racing has been held in the capital as early as the Yuan Dynasty.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the capital city held many palace dragon boat races. Even in modern times, this activity among the people has been quite lively.

Liujiazhuang is close to the Yongding River, so of course the custom of dragon boat racing is also present.

(End of this chapter)