■端午节的由来

　　TheDragonBoatFestival,alsocalledDoubleFifthFestival,iscelebratedonthefifthdayofthefifthmoonofthelunarcalendar.ItisoneofthemostimportantChinesefestivals,theothertwobeingtheAutumnMoonFestivalandChineseNewYear.

　　TheoriginofthissummerfestivalcentersaroundascholarlygovernmentofficialnamedChuYuan.Hewasagoodandrespectedman,butbecauseofthemisdeedsofjealousrivalsheeventuallyfellintodisfavorintheemperor'scourt.

　　Unabletoregaintherespectoftheemperor,inhissorrowChuYuanthrewhimselfintotheMiLowriver.BecauseoftheiradmirationforChuYuan,thelocalpeoplelivingadjacenttotheMiLoRiverrushedintotheirboatstosearchforhimwhilethrowingriceintothewaterstoappeasetheriverdragons.

　　AlthoughtheywereunabletofindChuYuan,theireffortsarestillcommemoratedtodayduringtheDragonBoatFestival.

　　■风俗习惯

　　DragonBoatrace

　　TraditionsAtthecenterofthisfestivalarethedragonboatraces.Competingteamsdrivetheircolorfuldragonboatsforwardtotherhythmofbeatingdrums.Theseexcitingraceswereinspiredbythevillager'svaliantattemptstorescueChuYuanfromtheMiLoriver.Thistraditionhasremainedunbrokenforcenturies.

　　TzungTzu

　　AverypopulardishduringtheDragonBoatfestivalistzungtzu.Thistastydishconsistsofricedumplingswithmeat,peanut,eggyolk,orotherfillingswrappedinbambooleaves.ThetraditionoftzungtzuismeanttoremindusofthevillagefishermenscatteringriceacrossthewateroftheMiLowriverinordertoappeasetheriverdragonssothattheywouldnotdevourChuYuan.

　　AyTaso

　　ThetimeofyearoftheDragonBoatFestival,thefifthlunarmoon,hasmoresignificancethanjustthestoryofChuYuan.ManyChineseconsiderthistimeofyearanespeciallydangeroustimewhenextraeffortsmustbemadetoprotecttheirfamilyfromillness.Familieswillhangvariousherbs,calledAyTsao,ontheirdoorforprotection.Thedrinkingofrealgarwineisthoughttoremovepoisonsfromthebody.HsiangBaoarealsoworn.Thesesachetscontainvariousfragrantmedicinalherbsthoughttoprotectthewearerfromillness.

　　■白蛇传的故事

　　ThereisaveryfamoustraditionalChinesestorythathasacloseconnectiontotheDragonBoatFestival.OnceuponatimeonE-Meimountaintherelivedtwosnakespirits,WhiteSnakeandGreenSnake.Thesesnakes,beingmagical,turnedthemselvesintobeautifulmaidensandsetoffonajourneytotheWestLakeofHangZhou.

　　WhentheyarrivedatWestLaketheymetamannamedXuXian.WhiteSnakequicklyfellinlovewithXuXianandtheyweresoonmarried.ABuddhistmonk,namedFaHai,warnedXuXianofhiswife'sdeceptiveappearanceandsuggestedtohimaplan.

　　OnthedayoftheDragonBoatFestivalWhiteSnakewishedtostayhomesoastoavoidtheAyTsao,usedforprotectionfromspirits,hangingonthedoorsofpeople'shouses.Herhusbandprepared,accordingtoFaHai'sinstruction,somerealgarwine,asthiswasatraditionduringtheDragonboatfestival.WhiteSnake,thinkinghermagicwouldprotectherfromtheeffectsoftherealgarwineacceptedacup.Aftershedrankthewineshebecameveryillandwasbarelyabletogettoherbed.

　　Whenherhusbandcametoherside,hefoundnothiswifebutahugewhitesnake.SogreatwasXuXian'sshockthathefelltothefloordead.

　　Afte