Scrumptious dumplings and deafening drumbeats are the two most thrilling components of the dragon boat festival in Singapore. This festival also known as the Duanwu Festival is a 2000-year-old tradition that is observed with great fervour and enthusiasm. While this tradition was instituted due to the suicide of a loyal and patriotic Chinese’s fellow, now it has developed into a fun and exciting activity.
Dragon Boat Festival Dates
The festival is based on the lunar calendar which is why the dates on the Gregorian calendar differ every year.
Year
Date
2020
25th June
2021
14th June
2022
3rd June
2023
22nd June
2024
10th June
While the ancient festival is filled with traditions and superstitions, it is also very energising and adrenaline-rushing. With modernisation, certain customs have become outdated, however, a few interesting ones remain. Let us take a look at some original traditions of the dragon boat festival.
Dragon Boat Racing
It is said that the race originated from the hunt for the patriotic poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself. Today these wooden boats are made and decorated in the shape of Chinese dragons. The sizes vary from 25-30 metres in length with about 30 to 60 people required to paddle it. During the race, the boat is paddled in synchrony and at a fast pace, while the sound of the beating drums is used to boost the morale of the participants.
Eat Dumplings
Dumplings are by far the most famous and loved Dragon boat festival food. You will usually find sticky rice dumplings made out of glutinous rice stuffed with fillings of beans and meat. These dumplings are wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves in rectangle or triangle shapes and are tied with soaked stalks or colourful silky cords.
Hang Mugwort and Calumus
Mugwort leaves are widely used for medicinal purposes while on the other hand, Calumus is an aquatic plant that helps keep flies and mosquitoes at bay. These two plants gain importance during this time because the Dragon boat festival is held at the beginning of summer when diseases are far more prevalent. Thus, on the fifth day of the fifth month, folks hang mugwort and calumus on doors to discourage illness and bring good luck to the family.
Drink Realgar Wine
As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘drinking realgar wine drives diseases and evils away’, the Dragon boat festival is celebrated by consuming gallons of this wine. Realgar wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that consists of powdered realgar and fermented cereals. In ancient times, it was believed that realgar was an antidote to all poisons and highly effective in driving evil spirits away.
Wear Perfume Pouches
Before the commencement of the festival, parents prepare perfume pouches for their children. It is made by sewing colourful silk cloths into little bags that are later filled with herbal medicines or perfumes. During the Duanwu festival, these perfume pouches are hung around the kid’s necks or tied to the front of a garment to keep evil at bay.
Even though this festival stands as a symbol of the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar, it has a special place in everyone’s hearts as it leads to great joy and adventure.
Gurnika Talwar is FNP’s marketing and creative content writer and has been with the firm since 2020. She is based in Delhi, India and has been in this field for 2+ years.
She started her journey as a freshman but since then has created content on several mediums. With blogging on gift ideas, food, gardening tips and whatnot as her primary goal, she has also curated content for social media and brand films. As a storyteller, she creates original, genuine, and relatable content to connect with the mass. Besides work, you’ll find her chit-chatting about movies or making sarcastic jokes.
It is said that the race originated from the hunt for the patriotic poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself. Today these wooden boats are made and decorated in the shape of Chinese dragons. The sizes vary from 25-30 metres in length with about 30 to 60 people required to paddle it. During the race, the boat is paddled in synchrony and at a fast pace, while the sound of the beating drums is used to boost the morale of the participants.
Eat Dumplings
Dumplings are by far the most famous and loved Dragon boat festival food. You will usually find sticky rice dumplings made out of glutinous rice stuffed with fillings of beans and meat. These dumplings are wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves in rectangle or triangle shapes and are tied with soaked stalks or colourful silky cords.
Hang Mugwort and Calumus
Mugwort leaves are widely used for medicinal purposes while on the other hand, Calumus is an aquatic plant that helps keep flies and mosquitoes at bay. These two plants gain importance during this time because the Dragon boat festival is held at the beginning of summer when diseases are far more prevalent. Thus, on the fifth day of the fifth month, folks hang mugwort and calumus on doors to discourage illness and bring good luck to the family.
Drink Realgar Wine
As an old Chinese saying goes, ‘drinking realgar wine drives diseases and evils away’, the Dragon boat festival is celebrated by consuming gallons of this wine. Realgar wine is a Chinese alcoholic drink that consists of powdered realgar and fermented cereals. In ancient times, it was believed that realgar was an antidote to all poisons and highly effective in driving evil spirits away.
Wear Perfume Pouches
Before the commencement of the festival, parents prepare perfume pouches for their children. It is made by sewing colourful silk cloths into little bags that are later filled with herbal medicines or perfumes. During the Duanwu festival, these perfume pouches are hung around the kid’s necks or tied to the front of a garment to keep evil at bay.
Even though this festival stands as a symbol of the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar, it has a special place in everyone’s hearts as it leads to great joy and adventure. 
