With over 2,000 years of history, the Dragon Boat Festival is one of the oldest festivals in China. It falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month each year - making it land anywhere between late May to late June depending on the lunar calendar. According to legend, the Dragon Boat Festival is said to commemorate the Chinese poet Qu Yuan. On the day of the festival, you can say, “端午安康!” (Duānwǔ ānkāng!) which means, “I wish you health for Dragon Boat Festival!”
*Teachers, please note: there is a brief mention of suicide at 3.27 when mentioning the origins of the festival and Qu Yuan’s death. Please review before sharing with students
*Teachers, please note: there is a brief mention of suicide between 1:24 - 1:32 when mentioning the origins of the festival and Qu Yuan’s death. Please review before sharing with students
Discuss the traditional foods that are eaten on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival and specifically zongzi. In the video they mention the sweet and salty versions of the dish and that preferences for each often depend on whether you are from North or South China. Watch
The History Behind Dragon Boat Festival
(start at 01:23 due to the mention of suicide at the beginning of the video) to learn more about the ingredients used to prepare zongzi
Identify a food dish in your country that can be prepared differently depending on the region. Discuss why specific dishes may be prepared the way they are (e.g. access to ingredients, cultural populations in the region, etc.)
ACTIVITY
If you are able to have eggs in the classroom or students have access to eggs at their home, have students partner up to play the Standing Egg Game as demonstrated in the video at 7:29. Recall that it is said to be easiest to make an egg stand on a table on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival!