Duanwu Festival, also known as
Dragon Boat Festival and the
Double Fifth, is a traditional and statutory
holiday originating in
China and associated with a number of
East Asian and
Southeast Asian societies. In Mandarin, it is known as
Duānwǔ Jié; in
Hong Kong and
Macau, by the Cantonese name
Tuen Ng Festival; in
Hokkien-speaking areas, by the names
Gō͘-go̍eh-cheh/
Gō͘-ge̍h-choeh (五月節) and
Gō͘-ji̍t-cheh/
Gō͘-ji̍t-choeh (五日節). In 2008, it was recognised as a public holiday in
mainland China for the first time since the 1940s.
[1][2] The festival has also long been celebrated in
Taiwan,
Singapore, and
Malaysia. Equivalent and related festivals in Asia include the
Kodomo no hi in
Japan,
Dano in
Korea, and
Tết Đoan Ngọ in
Vietnam.
Like all other traditional festivals, Duanwu is reckoned in accordance with the
lunar calendar consisting of 29 or 30 days. For this reason, Duanwu—the fifth day of the fifth moon, or double fifth—drifts from year to year on the Gregorian (solar) calendar.
The sun is considered to be at its strongest around the time of summer solstice ("mid-summer" in traditional East Asia, but "beginning" of summer elsewhere) when the daylight in the northern hemisphere is the longest. The sun (
yang), like the
dragon (
long), traditionally represents masculine energy, whereas the moon (
yue), like the
phoenix (or firebird,
fenghuang), traditionally represents feminine energy. The summer solstice is considered the peak annual moment of male energy
[5] while the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, represents the peak annual moment of feminine energy. The masculine image of the dragon is thus naturally associated with Duanwu.
From Wikipedia