Some thoughts about Dragon Boat Festival

Today is the fourteenth of June, and the fifth of May in Chinese lunar calendar. For all the Chinese people, wherever you live in the world, it has another meaning-the Dragon Boat Festival.

The aim of the festival is to commemorate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan. In the history of China, he drowned himself in the lake caused by his nation was died. So we often say “Wish you peace and health on Dragon Boat Festival” instead of “Happy Dragon Boat Festival”.

People respected him, they afraid his corpse would be bitten by fish, so they threw the rice in the water, and row the boat to search his corpse. Today we still keep the tradition. People eating zongzi and dragon boat racing in this day, and in today’s China, this festival is not only for commemorate Qu Yuan, but for welcoming and blessing summer.

In this season, people already over the hard work in the field, they have more time to rest and having entertainment activities.

As I know, the dragon boat racing is popular in south of China. I guess, whether or not caused by there are many rivers in south. I have been in south for a period many years ago, it gave me a deep impression. It is not uncommon to see rivers through the village, the town and the city, the local people lived along the river, their house half on ground half on river. As you wonder through the village, you likely to see they washing the clothes or vegetable at the riverbank, some children playing at the shallow area, perhaps you might see someone swimming in the river, especially in the summer time. It seems river was already been the part of their daily life. I believe they have a very special band with river, this is a relation that we who did not lived beside river hard to understand.

Actually, I want to living beside the river one day, like a local southerner. In my impression, they usually speak local language, though I did not understand, I felt the intonation like a song, slight and good to hear. They doing things slowly and peacefully, I like this attitude to life, not hurry, not worry, not fear, just live in this moment, enjoy this moment. I wonder whether or not the physical economy so rich make they have so content state. You know that, in all ages, south was been called” land of fish and rice”. Perhaps only a stable and long period can gives southerners elegant and peaceful temperament. Their attitude to life is the aim for me to chase in my left life.

I always have a fantasy of my life. One day, I come into a teashop in south, the place was playing a song with old melody and slow rhythm, it is better near or beside a river, I would choose a seat that beside the window with octangle shape, then order a cup of weak tea, drinking the tea and watching the scenery as the same time, I could stay all the day if I bring an interesting book, the sunshine sprinkle on my body through the large window, at the time, the whole world is quite and peace. This is the best thing that I could ever imagine. Before I got the perfect life, I must make the effort to work and learn, only then, the goal will come to approach me.

Back to reality, as a chowhound, the best thing for me is eating delicious food in every festivals. I have a dear mom who is the best mom in the world, the food by her making are always moreish. She likes making special food for us in special days.

Today my sister picked me up to visit our mother. When I got in the car, I saw her two daughters sitting at the backseat. The girls smile and greet to me. They are quite sweet, during the way of backing home, we talking and telling jokes, we had been laughing. Accompanied by them, the long distance quickly arrived. I have not seen my mom for a long time, I gave her a big hug, I miss her so much. My nephew and niece heard, ran towards us standing at the yard, they are so cute. As we come into the living room, my nephew opened the cabinet, took many snacks and fruit to us. My mom already prepared plenty dishes, she was making zongzi at the time, we let the children play together, my sister and I went to the kitchen to helped making. I never made zongzi, my mother had to taught me, at the first, spread open a long leaf on the worktop; next put some rice on the leaf with the spoon, add a jujube and some nut; then rolled the leaf to pack the rice, you must be careful at this step, you have to roll them up tightly; finally, tied it with a string. We were working with laughter and chatting, a while later, we finished all the zongzi. We put them in the pot of boiling water, just wait twenty minutes, we would taste the delicious food.

I felt so happy to stay with family, I hope I could have more time to accompany my family, especially in festival. People crated such many festivals, I guess, a major reason probably is to rest and accompany those who important for you.