农历五月初五为端午节，又称端阳节、午日节、五月节、艾节、端五、重午、午日、夏节。端是“开端”、“初”的意思，初五可以称为端五。农历以地支纪月，正月建寅，二月为卯，顺次至五月为午，因此称五月为午月，“五”与“午”通，“五”又为阳数，所以一些地方又将端午节称之为五月节、艾节、夏节。从史籍上看，“端午”二字最早见于晋人周处《风土记》：“仲夏端午，烹鹜角黍”。端午节是我国汉族人民的传统节日，这一天必不可少的活动逐渐演变为吃粽子，赛龙舟，挂菖蒲`蒿草、艾叶，薰苍术、白芷，喝雄黄酒。据说，吃粽子和赛龙舟，是为了纪念屈原，所以解放后曾把端午节定名为“诗人节”，以纪念屈原。至于挂菖蒲、艾叶，薰苍术、白芷，喝雄黄酒，则据说是为了避邪。
国家非常重视非物质文化遗产的保护，2006年5月20日，该民俗经国务院批准列入第一批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。
The Dragon Boat Festival, also called the Duanwu Festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar. For thousands of years, the festival has been marked by eating zongzi, or glutinous rice dumplings, and racing dragon boats. However some other traditions also relating to the festival have been neglected by many Chinese living in big cities. Let's follow our Liu Min to find out more about the Dragon boat festival's interesting customs. Reporter: Every Dragon Boat Festival, the renowned Chinese traditional food shop Dao Xiangcun is packed with customers. The manager Wen Jie says the rice dumplings are selling well. "There are only some with fresh meat stuffing left. We usually start selling early in the morning, and those with dates sold out just before 10:00am …Now that Zong Zi is sold out, many elderly people will have to buy the leaves and rice to make it themselves."
A lady is picking wrapping leaves and some stuffing. I asked her which filling she prefers. "Dates, I like rice dumplings with dates."(In Chinese I asked her - are you northern Chinese?) "Yes, northern Chinese usually love the ones with dates better and in the south they love the meat stuffing." That's something most Chinese people know about rice dumplings, buthere are some things we don't know. Professor Zhao Shu, from the Chinese folk literature and Art Society, explains that there are some idioms relating to the number of dates put into the rice dumplings. "One date in the dumpling means whole-hearted love. Two dates means friendship between two people. Three dates means elderly people have three blessings, such as good luck, wealth and health. Four dates means keeping safe and sound during the four seasons. Five dates are for those whose career will go smoothly in the future."
Besides rice dumplings, Wudu cakes are also a kind of traditional food people enjoy at this time of the year. Cake Shop manager Wen Jie says this is one of their marketing strategies to win over more traditional Chinese customers. "Wudu Cakes are usually welcomed by elderly people. It means driving away the evil spirits and praying for blessings."
The Dragon Boat Festival is usually held during the transition from spring to summer. Some bugs and poisonous animals such as scorpions, toads, spiders, centipedes and serpents would come out at this time of the year. Ancient Chinese people regard them as the five poisonous spirits which can bring bad luck and disease. They believed eating cakes carved with these animals' patterns in them could chase away them, and no longer hurt them. With the Wudu cake, Xiong Huang liquor is also a necessity during the festival. Professor Zhao Shu explains. "In ancient times, people had the tradition of drinking Xiong Huang liquor and now more people are drinking Panax wine. While drinking this wine, ancient Chinese people would take a spa in the water floating with orchids to get rid of bad luck and keep healthy."
Besides these traditions, there are also some traditions rarely seen in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. Fore example, wearing Wudu fragrant decorations is also a tradition to keep away from the poisonous bugs. Girls usually would wear bracelets made from five different coloured threads to ensure a better future. Certain wormwood called Ai Cao is also hung on the gate of residents to drive away mosquitos and ghosts.