端午節 Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boat Festival 端午節
相傳楚國詩人屈原精通治理國家的道理，二十多歲時，便得到楚懷王的信任，管理國家的內政和外交。可是，當時有個上官大夫嫉妒他的才能，向楚懷王說他的壞話，楚懷王便疏遠了屈原。懷王死了後，兒子繼位為頃襄王，還做了秦王的女婿。自此，楚國便長期處於屈辱的地位了。屈原看見祖國的處境，非常心痛，為此寫了很多詩篇。可是屈原詩中正直的話，得罪了奸臣。上官大夫在頃襄王面前說他的壞話，頃襄王便把屈原放逐到南方荒涼的地方去。當楚國的首都快要被秦攻破時，屈原回到京城，希望能參與救國，但頃襄王卻不准他逗留。屈原絕望極了，走到汩羅江時，便投進滔滔江水中。傳說屈原死後，民眾划船尋找他的屍體，並投下粽子，以防屈原屍體受魚蝦所噬。自此，便有了龍舟競渡和吃粽子的習俗。
The Dragon Boat Festival is dedicated to the great poet Chu Yuan (343-290 BC). Chu Yuan was a minister of the state of CHU. He loved his country very much and wanted to make it strong. But the king of CHU believed the words of his treacherous advisiors and rejected Chu Yuan’s plans for making the country rich and strong. Chu Yuan was so disappointed that he committed suicide by drowning himself in the Milo River.
Upon learning of Chu Yuan’s suicide, the people rushed to row their boats in search of his body. Accordingly, the Chinese people have commemorated this day as the Dragon Boat Festival. Originally, the boats had a very simple appearance, but later on people added dragon decorations to the boats for this special occasion.
In memory of Chu Yuan, people put rice inside bamboo stalks and threw it into the river as an offering. Later on, to express their admiration and respect for the great poet Chu Yuan, the Chinese people also designated this festival as Poet’s Day.
Posted in Festival/Holiday 節日 by lotus2015 with comments disabled.