农历五月初五的端午节有2000多年的历史了，通常在公历的六月份。
The Dragon Boat Festival, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, has had a history of more than 2,000 years. It is usually in June in the Gregorian calendar.
关于这个节日由来的传说很多，最流行的说法是为了纪念屈原(公元前340-278)。屈原是楚国的三闾大夫，也是中国最早的诗人之一。面对强秦的巨大压力，他主张富足国家并增强军事力量御敌。但是他的主张受到以靳尚为首的贵族的反对，后来又被楚怀王免职并放逐。在他被放逐的日子里，他依然心系祖国和人民，写下《离骚》、《天问》、《九歌》等不朽诗篇。这些诗篇影响深远。公元前278年，当他听到秦国军队已经攻破楚国国都的消息后，写完最后一篇诗篇《怀沙》后抱石投汨罗江自尽。这一天正是农历五月初五。他死后，楚国人民跑到河岸来悼念他，渔民们划船遍河寻找他的尸体。人们把粽子和鸡蛋投入水中以防止鱼虾伤害他的身体。一位老郎中还把一壶雄黄酒倒入水中，希望能药昏蛟龙水兽。这就是后来人们为什么在这一天赛龙舟，吃粽子，喝雄黄酒。
There are many legends about the evolution of the festival, the most popular of which is in commemoration of Qu Yuan (340-278 BC). Qu Yuan was minister of the State of Chu and one of China's earliest poets. In face of great pressure from the powerful Qin State, he advocated enriching the country and strengthening its military forces so as to fight against the Qin. However, he was opposed by aristocrats headed by Zi Lan, and later deposed and exiled by King Huai. In his exiled days, he still cared much for his country and people and composed immortal poems including Li Sao (The Lament), Tian Wen (Heavenly Questions) and Jiu Ge (Nine Songs), which had far-reaching influences. In 278 BC, he heard the news that Qin troops had finally conquered Chu's capital, so he finished his last piece Huai Sha (Embracing Sand) and plunged himself into the Miluo River, clasping his arms to a large stone. The day happened to be the 5th of the 5th month in the Chinese lunar calendar. After his death, the people of Chu crowded to the bank of the river to pay their respects to him. The fishermen sailed their boats up and down the river to look for his body. People threw into the water zongzi (pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or bamboo leaves) and eggs to divert possible fish or shrimp from attacking his body. An old doctor poured a jug of realgar wine (Chinese liquor seasoned with realgar) into the water, hoping to turn all aquatic beasts drunk. That's why people later followed the customs such as dragon boat racing, eating zongzi and drinking realgar wine on that day.
赛龙舟是这个节日不可或缺的一部分。当发令枪打响后，人们就能看到坐在龙形舟的赛手们在急促鼓点的伴随下齐力拼命摇桨驶向他们的目的地。民间故事说这个赛事的起源是找屈原的尸体，但是专家经过千辛万苦的仔细考证后得出结论是赛龙舟是一个起源于战国时代(公元前475-221)的一个半宗教半娱乐的节目。在以后的几千年里，这个比赛流传到日本，越南，英国和中国台湾，香港。现在赛龙舟已经发展成为一个水上运动，它既是中国的传统特色也体现了现代体育精神。1980年赛龙舟被正式列入国家体育竞赛项目的名单中并且每年都举行一次。奖品叫做“屈原杯”。
Dragon boat racing is an indispensable part of the festival, held all over the country. As the gun is fired, people will see racers in dragon-shaped canoes pulling the oars harmoniously and hurriedly, accompanied by rapid drums, speeding toward their destination. Folk tales say the game originates from the activities of seeking Qu Yuan's body, but experts, after painstaking and meticulous research, conclude that dragon boat racing is a semi-religious, semi-entertaining program from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC). In the following thousands of years, the game spread to Japan, Vietnam and Britain as well as China's Taiwan and Hong Kong. Now dragon boat racing has developed into an aquatic sports item which features both Chinese tradition and modern sporting spirit. In 1980, it was listed into the state sports competition programs and has since been held every year. The award is called "Qu Yuan Cup."
粽子是端午节的一个必备食品。据说人们在春秋时代就开始吃它(公元前770-476)。最开始时，它只是用箬叶和彩线包起来的糯米。但是现在填充物就很丰富了，有枣子和豆沙的，鲜肉的，还有火腿蛋黄的。如果时间允许，人们会自己泡糯米，洗箬叶，包粽子。不然他们就会到商店买来自己想吃的粽子。现在吃粽子的习俗已经风靡朝鲜，南韩，日本以及东南亚各国。
Zongzi is an essential food of the Dragon Boat Festival. It is said that people ate them in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). In early times, it was only glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in reed or other plant leaves and tied with colored thread, but now the fillings are more diversified, including jujube and bean paste, fresh meat, and ham and egg yolk. If time permits, people will soak glutinous rice, wash reed leaves and wrap up zongzi themselves. Otherwise, they will go to shops to buy whatever stuff they want. The custom of eating zongzi is now popular in North and South Korea, Japan and Southeast Asian nations.
在端午节的那天，父母还要给他们的孩子戴上香囊。他们先要用丝绸缝制一个小袋子，然后在里面装上香料或者草药，最后用丝线穿起来。香囊做为一个装饰品挂在小孩的脖子上或者外衣上。据说是可以避邪的。
On Dragon Boat Festival, parents also need to dress their children up with a perfume pouch. They first sew little bags with colorful silk cloth, then fill the bags with perfumes or herbal medicines, and finally string them with silk threads. The perfume pouch will be hung around the neck or tied to the front of a garment as an ornament. They are said to be able to ward off evil.