Dear readers, today is Duan Wu Jie or Dragon Boat Festival. I wish All celebrating Duan Wu Jie a Happy Duan Wu Jie today!
When it comes to Duan Wu Jie, the dumplings are a key feature of Duan Wu Jie, which is always, bought and consumed by many celebrating Duan Wu Jie.
And in a previous post, I shared how the average cost of a dumpling these days is around $4 each, though prices are definitely marked up in the lead up to the festival. However, a reader to my Investingnote profile, shared that over at a particular supermarket, the cost of a dumpling is still lower than $4 a dumpling in these Duan Wu Jie days.
Nevertheless, I was out buying dumplings for my family yesterday. And not to be viewed as endorsement of a particular brand of dumplings, I should not name the name of the shop where I bought my dumplings from. I can only mention that this shop is rather popular here in Singapore and the quality of the dumplings is excellent and consistent over the years.
I bought 6 dumplings and 2 “premier” dumplings for my family for $50 exactly. And this is reasonable in this Duan Wu Jie period considering that prices could be higher, e.g. a large dumpling at a popular stall in a Bugis “dumpling” bazaar (near Fu Lu Shou complex) was sold for $9.50 a dumpling.
And not to mention, the dumplings bought are excellent in taste and this quality is consistent over the years.
At the Bugis dumpling bazaar, there was a huge statue of Qu Yuan installed and this is really a timely reminder to many celebrating Duan Wu Jie, that the festival is not just about buying and eating dumplings but is also to honor Qu Yuan.
For those not familiar with Qu Yuan, Qu Yuan was a well-respected figure in ancient China who served as a minister in the state of Chu. However, he fell out of favor with the ruler and was eventually exiled. When Qu Yuan heard that his country had been conquered by the state of Qin, he was devastated and threw himself into the Miluo River as a final act of defiance. The local people, who admired and respected Qu Yuan, raced to their boats to try to save him, but it was too late. They threw rice dumplings into the river to distract the fish and prevent them from eating Qu Yuan’s body.
To commemorate Qu Yuan’s sacrifice, the people continued to make and eat rice dumplings. I also read that eating rice dumplings during Duan Wu Jie, is believed to bring good fortune and ward off evil spirits.
Dragon boat racing is also synonymous with Duan Wu Jie and dragon boat race is a tradition of Duan Wu Jie. This ritual is believed to be a way of warding off evil spirits and bringing good luck and happiness to the community.
Overall, Duan Wu Jie celebrates the spirit of loyalty, patriotism, and unity.
I wish All of you celebrating Duan Wu Jie a Happy Duan Wu Jie today an All a Happy start of the week!