New York Dragon Boat Festival
Dragon Boats are a paddled, canoe style craft that have been used and raced in China for over two thousand years. They are festive and colorful. Race days in China are a celebration of competition and teamwork. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York has become a yearly tradition here since its founding in 1990, and this year I attended with the goal of people watching and enjoying the races. In China, dragons are thought to be the rulers of all forms of water, so the idea of the boat races was to honor them. Traditionally, the races take place on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese calendar, which usually falls near the months of May and June, somewhat near the summer solstice. Both dragons and the sun are considered to be male in traditional Chinese mythology. They are thought to be at their most potent at this time of year. Thus, the tradition of dragon boat festivals as celebration near the summer solstice has a long history. Attributed to Li Zhaodao Drago...