Today marks an important Chinese Festival, that is the Dragon Boat Festival or Dumpling Festival or Duan Wu Jie.

Here goes the legend behind this festival:

“Long long ago, a Chinese noble and state counsellor (named Qu Yuan) jumped into the waters of the Miluo River in China, to protest against chaos and corruption. In their efforts to save Qu Yuan’s body from being eaten by fishes, some fishermen create loud noise from the drums to scare off the fishes. As they could not find Qu Yuan’s body, they called out to every household to wrap rice in bamboo leaves and throw them into the river for the fishes so that they would spare his body. To commemorate Qu Yuan, dragon boat races are conducted on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar and the custom to eat rice dumplings is shared by many Chinese year after year.”

I am not sure how many Chinese of my generation or younger generation understands the meaning of this special festival. Since young my understanding of the festival was vague. Thinking back, I never truly asked much about the history of each Chinese Festival celebrated and my parents also never really share. What I learned from my parents is that this is the day when many Chinese make, buy and eat rice dumplings and rice dumplings are also used for religious worship. Though rice dumplings can be purchased on any day, the price is usually mark up on this special day and I never truly understand since young why people have to rush to buy them only on this special day. I also recalled those younger days when my relatives and neighbours will cook and make the rice dumplings and share or distribute them. Then for days, we will have rice dumplings as meals.

Today, the market has become commercialised. The traditional dumplings are either plain dumplings or dumplings filled with meat, chestnuts, mushrooms, egg yolk. Now we have interesting dumplings make of durians, red beans, chocolates and more. As Singaporeans get more westernized, our kids might no longer be so aware of the background and the purpose of the different Chinese festivals. It is probably easier for the younger generation to remember that Christmas falls on 25 December, then remember the lunar dates of the different Chinese Festivals. When I asked my kids whether they know that today is Dumpling Festival and the background of this Festival, they are simply lost! I have nothing much to comment except that we cannot blame them for not knowing especially when I as parent or parents of my generation or younger, might not be so well-versed in Chinese culture and festivals ourselves. I am not sure how much they learn from school.

About few years ago, I came across a book on the Origins of Chinese Festivals and I bought it so that I could finally learn more about the legend behind each celebration. The book is narrated in the form of pictures and that makes reading easier for children too. It was passed on to Brendan to read. I joined the crowd to buy two rice dumplings and share with the family. I also intend to share with the kids the significance of the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunar calendar.

I do not know how much our kids will know or even accept the significance of our Chinese culture and the important festivals if we parents stop celebrating or sharing? <ponder>.