As the sun cast its golden rays over the bustling market, the air was filled with the rich aroma of bamboo leaves and steaming glutinous rice, which signaled the arrival of the Dragon Boat Festival. The scent of zongzi, wrapped tightly with the sounds of chatter and laughter, creating a festive atmosphere that was impossible to ignore.
At home, looking at the green bamboo leaves on the ground, I seemed to smell a touch of grass. Beside was a small pot of white glutinous rice, soaked in water, shining jade like light. A pair of old but clean hands were stirring the glutinous rice, and the movement was very gentle. It was my grandma. Although Grandma's eyes are a little fuzzy, when she looked at the zongzi, it seemed that she was looking at her beloved child. When making zongzi, grandma used a white thread to roll bamboo leaves into a cone with one hand, and neatly put glutinous rice with the other hand and plugged in dates. Then, I didn't see how grandma's fingers turned, how to pack, a delicate little triangle zongzi lying quietly in Grandma's hand.
I sat down and made zongzi with my grandma. Next to the steamer been boiling, grandma was putting zongzi into the pot. After a while, white water vapor emerged around the lid of the pot, and the fire at the bottom of the pot filled the smell of zongzi.
"Grandma, it smells amazing," I said, leaning in for a closer look.
She smiled, her eyes twinkling with warmth. "It's your favorite, isn't it?" she asked, her voice filled with affection.
I nodded, remembering the times we would sit together, peeling the layers of bamboo to reveal the steaming zongzi, sharing stories and laughter. Those moments were some of the most precious memories I cherished.
＂The slender leaves of mugwort, green and lush, herald the deep sentiment of the Dragon Boat Festival.＂A single bite of soft rice, a burst of laughter, and a deep bond of companionship—all in one mouthful, that's the essence of the Dragon Boat Festival.
The Dragon Boat Festival was not just a holiday to celebrate, but a time to honor our ancestors and their traditions.The roots of the story trace back to the Spring and Autumn Period, when Qu Yuan, a minister of the Chu Kingdom who had a sorrowful background, expressed his wisdom and mockery of the world's cruelty and injustice through his poetry. He struggled with a bad fate and ultimately chose to throw himself into the river, defending his beloved country in a unique way. Since then, this festival has become a memorial to Qu Yuan, this loyal and valiant man.
The customs and traditions, like the zongzi and the dragon boat races, were not only just rituals but also carried deep cultural significance. They reminded us of our history, our roots, and the importance of staying connected to our past. This was our culture, our heritage, and I was grateful to be a part of it.