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Post by douglaslam on May 27, 2009 21:29:54 GMT -5
Today is the 5th day 0f the 5th moon on the Chinese or Lunar calendar. It is the Dragon Boat Festival. Members and visitors in China, HK, Macao and Taiwan enjoy a public holiday to celebrate this important date on our almanac. China is a late comer to declared this a holiday, perhaps, to counter rising Western influence such as Valentines Day. It was a non-event during the Mao era.
Dragon Boat races have now gone international, and they are no longer an all-male domain. and as always special food to go with the occasion. We in Chungshan are well known for our huge stick rice parcels (jung). One king-size one is big enough to feed the whole family.
"Winning the Dragon Boat Race" is one of my favourite pieces of Cantonese music. This is the best and original recording which I first heard over 50 years ago.
Many of you may not be familiar with the tune, listen to it and feel the excitement of a race with drums and gongs in full cry. And the music ends also with drums and gong falling silent to signify the conclusion of a great event, and the dragon boats are put away until next year.
After the boat races, the young males used to jump into the waterways to bathe in the Dragon Boat water, to cleanse themselves and for good luck. Back then the rivers and streams had no industrial effluent. I know people still do jump into open water to celebrate.
tyuti1668, are you going to have a swim in the Dragon Boat waters?
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Post by tyuti1668 on May 27, 2009 22:19:11 GMT -5
... tyuti1668, are you going to have a swim in the Dragon Boat waters? I'm waitng the "五色豆粥" in the kitchen ready ;D Although "Zongzi" isn't a MUST in Longdu custom, but i really miss " 芦兜粽"
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Post by helen on Jun 20, 2009 5:13:46 GMT -5
I was at my grandfather's village of Sa Chuen on the 9 June and was part of a special day meeting his family for the first time. It rained all day, and the only boats we saw had nobody in it. A great mood in the village though as Chans from other villages had been invited too.
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