Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional holiday in China, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. It is also known as the Duanwu Festival. It is called Dragon Boat Festival because people race dragon boats on this day.
The festivals has a history of over 2,000 years. It is said to have originated during the Warring States period in ancient China. People celebrate the festival in different ways, including eating zongzi, drinking realgar wine, and carrying fragrant sachets.
Zongzi, the most traditional food, is a pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in reed leaves. Realgar wine is a traditional Chinese wine made from fermented rice and Chinese herbs.
Carrying fragrant sachets is a traditional custom during the Dragon Boat Festival. Chinese people think that herbal medicines produce fragrant scents and can protect people from evil forces. Carrying fragrant sachets can help drive away evil spirits and protect the people from the plague.
Today, the Dragon Boat Festival is not only celebrated in China, but also in other countries and regions around the world. People who are not Chinese also celebrate the festival. In 2008, the Dragon Boat Festival was listed as a national holiday in China.