TheDragonBoatFestival,alsocalledDoubleFifthFestival,iscelebratedonthefifthdayofthefifthmoonofthelunarcalendar.ItisoneofthemostimportantChinesefestivals,theothertwobeingtheAutumnMoonFestivalandChineseNewYear。TheoriginofthissummerfestivalcentersaroundascholarlygovernmentofficialnamedChuYuan.Hewasagoodandrespectedman,butbecauseofthemisdeedsofjealousrivalsheeventuallyfellintodisfavorintheemperor'scourt。Unabletoregaintherespectoftheemperor,inhissorrowChuYuanthrewhimselfintotheMiLowriver.BecauseoftheiradmirationforChuYuan,thelocalpeoplelivingadjacenttotheMiLoRiverrushedintotheirboatstosearchforhimwhilethrowingriceintothewaterstoappeasetheriverdragons。AlthoughtheywereunabletofindChuYuan,theireffortsarestillcommemoratedtodayduringtheDragonBoatFestival。端午节的由来端午节,又称为五五节,因为端午节是在农历的五月五日,是三个重要的中国节庆之一,其他两个分别是中秋节和农历新年。这个节日的由来是古代中国有一位博学多闻的官吏屈原,他是一位爱民而且又受到尊崇的官吏,但是由於一位充满嫉妒的官吏陷害,从此在朝廷中被皇帝所冷落。由於无法获得皇帝的重视,屈原在忧郁的情况下投汨罗江自尽。由於对屈原的爱戴,汨罗江畔的居民匆忙的划船在江内寻找屈原,并且将米丢入汨罗江中,以平息汨罗江中的蛟龙。即使他们当时并没有找到屈原,但是他们的行为,直到今天在端午节的时候,仍然被人们传颂纪念著。DragonBoatraceTraditionsAtthecenterofthisfestivalarethedragonboatraces.Competingteamsdrivetheircolorfuldragonboatsforwardtotherhythmofbeatingdrums.Theseexcitingraceswereinspiredbythevillager'svaliantattemptstorescueChuYuanfromtheMiLoriver.Thistraditionhasremainedunbrokenforcenturies。TzungTzuAverypopulardishduringtheDragonBoatfestivalistzungtzu.Thistastydishconsistsofricedumplingswithmeat,peanut,eggyolk,orotherfillingswrappedinbambooleaves.ThetraditionoftzungtzuismeanttoremindusofthevillagefishermenscatteringriceacrossthewateroftheMiLowriverinordertoappeasetheriverdragonssothattheywouldnotdevourChuYuan。AyTasoThetimeofyearoftheDragonBoatFestival,thefifthlunarmoon,hasmoresignificancethanjustthestoryofChuYuan.ManyChineseconsiderthistimeofyearanespeciallydangeroustimewhenextraeffortsmustbemadetoprotecttheirfamilyfromillness.Familieswillhangvariousherbs,calledAyTsao,ontheirdoorforprotection.Thedrinkingofrealgarwineisthoughttoremovepoisonsfromthebody.HsiangBaoarealsoworn.Thesesachetscontainvariousfragrantmedicinalherbsthoughttoprotectthewearerfromillness。风俗习惯端午节最重要的活动是龙舟竞赛,比赛的队伍在热烈的鼓声中划著他们多彩的龙舟前进。这项活动的灵感是来自於当时汨罗江畔的居民,在江中划船救屈原,而这个传统也一直保持了数个世纪。在端午节时受欢迎的食物就是粽子,粽子是以米包著肉、花生、蛋黄及其他材料,再以竹叶包裹。而粽子的传统则来由於汨罗江边的渔夫,将米丢入江中平息江中的蛟龙,希望他们不要将屈原吃掉。农历的五月,也就是端午节的这个时节,对中国人而言,除了屈原的故事还有许多其他重要的意义。许多中国人相信五月是一年中容易引发疾病的危险时节,因此必须有许多防备家人生病的措施。许多家庭会将一种特别的植物-艾草挂在门口,作为保护之用,而人们也会挂带香包,它是以含有多种香味的药用植物所做成,也可以保护人们远离疾病。