Happy Dragon Boat Festival!! 端午節快樂!!

The Dragon Boat Festival is an annual holiday occurring on the 5th day of the 5th month in lunar calendars. This year, Dragon Boat festival lands on June 22.

People celebrate by enjoying rice dumplings, participating in Dragon Boat races, drinking Realgar wine, and carrying sachets. The story of Dragon Boat Festival starts from a Chinese gentleman/scholar 文人 named Qu, Yuan 屈原. 

Based on an ancient heroic story, Qu Yuan was a patriotic poet and respected minister at the court of Emperor Chu 周. He was beloved by the Chu for his care and dedication to their well-being. He always sought the best for his people and made efforts to advise Emperor Chu on protecting the empire from other rival empires.

Unfortunately, his suggestions were rejected, and the Chu dynasty eventually fell on the Qin 秦 dynasty. In order to demonstrate his loyalty to the Chu people, Qu Yuan tragically chose to end his own life by jumping into the Miluo River 汨羅江. When the Chu people learned of this tragic incident, they wrapped up rice dumplings and threw them into the river to prevent Qu Yuan’s body from being eaten by fish while attempting to rescue him by patrolling in boats.

The customs of eating rice dumplings and participating in Dragon Boat races have become traditions associated with this holiday. The holiday is celebrated to advocate for the humanistic qualities valued in Chinese culture, such as royalty, kindness, and caring, which were exemplified by Qu Yuan.

 

Happy Year of the Rabbit! Thank you for joining us in celebrating this year!

Thank you for joining us in celebrating the year of the Rabbit! We are so grateful to celebrate with each and every one of you! 

Lunar new year is one of the biggest holidays in Chinese culture, and is celebrated according to the lunar calendar from the first day of the first month to the 15th day of the first month. Typically this celebration period falls within late January to mid-February within the Gregorian calendar, and every day of the lunar new year period has its own meaning and task. This year we were able to celebrate the lunar new year season with over 5,000 attendees at 6 events spanning 5 iconic Chicago locations, and including performances by over 15 performing arts groups from across Chicagoland! 

We want to thank our artists and performers, partners and sponsors, staff, volunteers, and attendees for making these events possible -新年快乐! Xīn Nián Kuài Lè! Happy Chinese New Year 2023!