TheDragonBoatFestival,alsooftenknownastheTuenNgorDuanwuFestival,isatraditionalandstatutoryholidayoriginatinginChina.Thefestivalnowoccursonthe5thdayofthe5thmonthofthetraditionallunarcalendar,thesourceofitsalternativename,theDoubleFifthFestival.TheChinesecalendarislunisolar,sothedatevariesfromyeartoyearontheGregoriancalendar.In,itfellonJune23;in,onJune12;andin,itoccurredonJune2.Thefocusofmostcelebrationsinvolveseatingzongzi(stickyricetreatswrappedinbambooleaves),drinkingrealgarwine(雄黃酒,xiónghuángjiǔ),andracingdragonboats.

Thesunisconsideredtobeatitsstrongestaroundthetimeofsummersolstice,asthedaylightinthenorthernhemisphereisthelongest.Thesun,liketheChinesedragon,traditionallyrepresentsmasculineenergy,whereasthemoon,likethephoenix,traditionallyrepresentsfeminineenergy.Thesummersolsticeisconsideredtheannualpeakofmaleenergywhilethewintersolstice,thelongestnightoftheyear,representstheannualpeakoffeminineenergy.ThemasculineimageofthedragonwasthusnaturallyassociatedwithDuanwu.

ThestorybestknowninmodernChinaholdsthatthefestival