More Dragonboat Festival Traditions

I just saw these pictures from Jayden’s school and thought you might like to see as well.

One tradition for Dragonboat Festival is to eat Zhong Zi, or sticky rice dumplings. It’s said they were originally thrown into the river to prevent Qu Yuan from being eaten by the fish after he committed suicide in as a political protest. We eat the dumplings every year to remember this tragic hero.

It’s a sticky rice mix with nuts and meat, shaped into a triangle and wrapped in a taro leaf.

Jayden made his own at school. You can see them hanging in the background as well.

Another tradition is for children to wear fragrant bags that bring luck and keep bad spirits away. Jayden is so proud that he made his own. Here he is putting the fragrant beads in.

Now he’s putting the stuffing in.

And the final result.  He’s worn it around his neck almost everyday.

Jaylene made one as well, but we don’t have any pictures of hers. She also brought home a little kit to make one at home, but I don’t think we’ll have time this weekend to make it.