Legend about the Dragon Boat Festival:
In memory of meson tui
meson tui once followed Zhong Er into exile as a courtier of Zhong Er, the son of the State of Jin. Zhong Er has been without food for several days, and if he doesn't eat, he will die. At this time, Jiezitui actually cut off the meat on his thigh and made a broth for Zhong Er to eat. Zhong Er, satiated with food and drink, asked why, and was very touched when he found the injury of meson push. Zhong Er said that in the future, when he got the position of monarch, he must reward meson tui to repay his life.
However, when Zhong Er returned to the State of Jin and won the position of monarch, he was all over the princes, but he forgot about Jiezitui. Meson pushed out resentment in his heart, so he wrote a song of the dragon and snake to express his sorrow. Then, meson tui left the court with her mother and returned to her hometown. Someone told Jin Wengong the ballad of meson push, and Jin Wengong was so sorry that he quickly sent someone to look for meson push. I found out that mesons live in the mountains, so I went to look for them. But meson Tui just refused to show up. Jin Wengong is also a cruel man, so he ordered Yamakaji to be released, thinking that meson push must be a mountain in order to survive. I didn't expect meson push to hold a tree and burn it alive.
that day was the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. In order to show his regret for meson tui, Jin Wengong ordered that no fire should be made for cooking on the fifth day of May-cold food like zongzi was prepared a few days in advance-to commemorate meson tui.
Later, other countries learned about the story of meson push, and they were very moved and popularized it. The Central Plains and the Yangtze River Basin all commemorate meson push on the fifth day of May.
In memory of Huang Chao
Huang Chao, the leader of the peasant uprising in the Tang Dynasty. In folklore, the custom of inserting calamus and wormwood at the door of the Dragon Boat Festival also has great origin with him.
During the Xuanzong period of the Tang Dynasty, Huang Chao led a rebellion, killing millions of people everywhere, and the blood became a river. As soon as people heard that Huang Chao was coming, they fled in a hurry. In May of this year, Huang Chao's army invaded Henan and arrived at Dengzhou. Huang Chao rode outside the city to survey the terrain, only to see waves of old, weak, women and children pouring out of the city. He saw a woman carrying a baggage, holding a young boy in one hand and an older boy in the other. Huang Chao was surprised and dismounted and asked, "Sister-in-law, where are you going in a hurry?" The woman replied, "I heard that Huang Chao is a murderous villain who will attack Dengzhou in a few days. All the men in the city have been called to guard the city. We, old and young, might as well run for our lives earlier. " Huang Chao pointed to the child and asked her, "Why do you hold the small one in your hand, but embrace the big one?" The woman said, "The one in my arms is the only one alive in my uncle's family. That's my own son in my hand. In case of emergency, I would rather lose my son and leave a root seedling for my uncle's family. " Hearing this, Huang Chao was deeply moved and said to the woman, "Sister-in-law, go back quickly and stick calamus and wormwood at the door, so that Huang Chao's army won't hurt you."
The woman was skeptical, but she went back to the city and spread the news. The next day was Duanyang in May, and Huang Chao's army stormed into the city, only to find bow, calamus and wormwood hanging on the doors of every household. In order to keep his promise to the woman, Huang Chao had to lead the troops away helplessly, and the whole city was spared. In order to commemorate this event, every time after the Dragon Boat Festival, everyone will insert calamus and wormwood on the door. This custom has been passed down to this day.
In memory of Qu Yuan
According to the Biographies of Qu Yuan and Jia Sheng in Historical Records, Qu Yuan was a minister of Chu Huaiwang in the Spring and Autumn Period. He advocated the promotion of talents and empowerment, made Qiang Bing rich, and urged the joint efforts against Qin, which was strongly opposed by Zilan and others. Qu Yuan was forced to leave his post, was driven out of the capital, and was exiled to Yuan and Xiang basins. During his exile, he wrote immortal poems such as Li Sao, Tian Wen and Jiu Ge, which are of unique style and far-reaching influence (hence, the Dragon Boat Festival is also called Poet's Day). In 278 BC, Qin Jun conquered Kyoto, Chu. Qu Yuan's heart ached at the sight of his motherland being invaded, but he couldn't bear to give up his motherland all the time. On May 5th, after writing his masterpiece Huai Sha, he threw himself into the Miluo River and died, writing a magnificent patriotic movement with his own life.
After the death of Qu Yuan, the people of Chu were so sad that they flocked to the Miluo River to pay their respects to Qu Yuan. Fishermen rowed boats and fished for his real body back and forth on the river. A fisherman took out rice balls, eggs and other foods prepared for Qu Yuan and threw them into the river "plop, plop", saying that the ichthyosaurs, shrimps and crabs were full and would not bite the doctor's body. People followed suit after seeing it. An old doctor took an altar of realgar wine and poured it into the river, saying that it was necessary to stun the dragon water beast with medicine so as not to hurt Dr. Qu. Later, for fear that rice balls would be eaten by dragons, people came up with the idea of wrapping rice with neem leaves and wrapping them with colored silk to develop them into brown seeds.
After that, on the fifth day of May every year, there was the custom of dragon boat race, eating zongzi and drinking realgar wine. In memory of the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.
In memory of Wu Zixu
The Wu Zixu family is very famous in Chu. Wu Ju, the ancestor, was a famous minister of Chu who bluntly said that Chu Zhuangwang had made contributions, and his father Wu She was a teacher built by Prince Chu. In 522 BC, Wu Zixu took refuge and fled to Wu because his father Wu She, his brother Wu Shang and more than 1 members of his family were killed by King Chu Ping. After getting to know Wu Gongzi Guang and helping him win the throne, it was for He Lv, the king of Wu. In order to enable the State of Wu to defend itself from the enemy, he suggested that He Lv, the king of Wu, "first set up battlements, set up garrisons, make solid positions, and rule the army", and was ordered to personally choose the site of the capital of Wu. He "tasted the water in Xiangtu" and "looked like heaven and earth", finally selected the city site, made reasonable planning, and built the great city of He Lv. Today's Suzhou city.
Wu Zixu has great talents and won the trust of He Lv, the king of Wu. He was loyal to help the king of Wu break the strong Chu in the west, join forces with Jin in the north and serve the Vietnamese in the south, and the national strength of Wu reached its peak. After the death of Yan Lu, the king of Wu, he continued to assist Fu Cha in his accession to the throne and helped the State of Wu defeat Yue. Wu Zixu analyzed that due to natural conditions, wuyue can only have one of the two, so he advocated that the country of Yue must be destroyed. However, Fu Cha, the king of Wu, prided himself on his exploits, listened to Bo's slanderous remarks and allowed Yue to survive. And give Wu Zixu to death. On the fifth day of May, Zi Xu's body was taken and put into the river in leather. Three years after Wu Zixu's death, Wu was destroyed by Yue, and Fu Cha committed suicide by hiding his face. The people of Wu missed Wu Zixu, the pillar of the country, even more. For thousands of years, it has been said in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces that after Wu Zixu's death, the loyal soul will never die and become a Taoshen, and the Dragon Boat Festival is the day to commemorate Wu Zixu.
In memory of Gou Jian's attack on Wu Shuo
In Zhejiang, there is also a saying that the Dragon Boat Festival originated from Gou Jian's practice of water army. The dragon boat race is considered to commemorate the history of Gou Jian, the king of Yue, who practiced the navy and defeated the State of Wu.
He ascended the throne in the first 496 years. He was defeated by the State of Wu, and was forced to surrender. He lived in the State of Wu for three years, won the trust of Fu Cha, the king of Wu, and was put back to Yue. The national strength of Viet Nam was gradually restored by paying for the job and tasting the courage, and reusing Fan Li and literary styles. On the fifth day of May of that year, the Navy was established and began to practice. In the first 482 years, Fu Cha, the king of Wu, came out as elite as possible to attend the meeting of Huangchi, leaving only the prince and the old and weak to defend the country. Gou Jian, the King of Yue, took advantage of the situation and defeated Wu Shi. Fu Cha hastily made an alliance with the State of Jin and returned. Lien Chan was unfavorable, so he had to make peace with Yue. In 473 BC, Fu Cha was forced to commit suicide, and Wu was finally wiped out in one fell swoop. In order to demonstrate Gou Jian's perseverance, later generations followed the example of the Yue Navy's drill and rowed a boat race on the fifth day of May as a souvenir.
In memory of Cao E
According to the Biography of Cao E in the Later Han Dynasty, Cao E was born in Caojiabao, Yuzaohu Township. Father Cao Xu, as a witch wish, can "caress the festival and press the song, dancing and enjoying God." On May 5, the second year of Han 'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty (143), Cao Xu sailed in the Shunjiang River to meet the tide god Wu Jun, saying, "You can't die if you are flooded by water. At the age of fourteen, he threw a melon into the river and saved his father's body. Yue: The father is here, and the melon should sink. Wailing along the river, day and night, there are seven days in ten days. He threw himself into the river and died. Three days later, he carried his father's body out. "
translation: "Cao E's father drowned in the river, and his body was not seen for several days. His filial daughter Cao E was only fourteen years old at that time, and she cried day and night along the river to find her father. Seventeen days later, on May 5, she also threw herself into the river and took out her father's body three days later. "
Later generations changed Shun River to Cao 'e River in memory of her. In the first year of Yuanjia (151), the official of Shangyu County reburied E beside Jiangnan Road, and ordered his disciple Han Danchun to make a funeral speech and carve a stone to erect a monument to show filial piety. After Cai Yong's visit, he read it at dusk, touching the text with his hand, and wrote eight words on the tablet: "The grandson of a yellow silk young woman's mortar" (a riddle with a wonderful answer).
In the eastern part of Zhejiang, local residents regard the Dragon Boat Festival as a memorial to their filial daughter Cao E. Cao E was a native of Shangyu in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Her father drowned in the river and didn't see her body for several days. At that time, Cao E, the filial daughter, was only fourteen years old and was crying along the river day and night. Seventeen days later, he also threw himself into the river on May 5, and took out his father's body five days later. This was passed down as a myth, and then passed on to the governor of the county government, who made it a monument and let his disciple Han Danchun make a eulogy.