Of all the major holidays celebrated in China,the Dragon Boat Festival has the longest history. For more than two thousand years, the festival has been celebrated with dragon boat racing and enjoying the glutinous Zongzi.

Many Chinese today endorse the idea that the central message of the Dragon Boat Festival is "Harmony". The spirit emerges watching boat racers striving in unison, enjoying the sticky Zongzi, which 'glues' family members together. Then there are ancient rites to foster harmony between people and Nature.

Several legends surround the origin of the Dragon Boat Festival. The most popular concerns the death of famous statesman and poet Qu Yuan. About 2200 years ago, Qu Yuan was said to have drowned himself in a river when he learned his state was about to fall to invaders.

After Qu Yuan was gone, local fishermen raced their boats along the river trying to recover his body. But the effort was to no avail. Later some people threw rice on the water as a sacrifice.

The legend gave rise to both the major practices observed today: dragon boat racing and eating Zongzi.

Dragon boat racing symbolizes the many attempts that were made to rescue or recover Qu's body. This lively tradition has continued unbroken for centuries, especially in south China where there are many rivers and lakes. The tradition also is found outside China. There are spectacular boat races in many places, from Rome, Italy to Seattle, Washington.

The rice said to have been thrown into the water has evolved into the tradition of Zongzi. They are made by with glutinous rice stuffed with other ingredients such as jujube and meat and all wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves.

However, records reveal the festival probably originated long before the death of Qu Yuan. It occurs at the beginning of summer, a time when insects thrive. Some traditions hold that the festival started as an occasion for driving off pestilence and evil spirits. The Chinese, especially among some ethnic groups, continue to heed the traditional wisdom by hanging moxa and drinking wine.

Whatever purpose it serves, the millennia-old festival is revered and revived in a new era. From 2008 onward, the Dragon Boat Festival is institutionalized as a holiday for the entire nation. The significance of holiday is to preserve the rich cultural legacies attached to the festival.