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Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu)
Dragon boats race and zongzi are eaten in honor of the loyal minister-poet Qu Yuan.
📅 June 21🌙 Lunar calendar
✦ Why It Matters
The Dragon Boat Festival honors Qu Yuan (340-278 BCE), loyal minister-poet who drowned himself in protest of government corruption. The people threw rice into the river to protect his body — the origin of zongzi dumplings and dragon boat racing.
✦ How It Is Observed
Dragon boat races to drums, eating zongzi (sticky rice in bamboo leaves), wearing five-colored silk threads, hanging calamus at doorways, reciting Qu Yuan's poetry.
✦ Sacred Text
“Long was the road I travelled and far, seeking the utmost North and South — seeking those of like mind in a corrupt world.”
— Li Sao (Encountering Sorrow), Qu Yuan ↗
Note on dates: This holiday follows a lunar or lunisolar calendar. The date shown is approximate for 2025–2026. Exact dates may vary by one or two days depending on moon sighting and regional tradition. Always confirm with your local community.