（通识教学部讯 徐珊珊文 ）端午节（农历五月初五），又称端阳节、龙舟节、天中节，是中国古老的传统节日。始于春秋战国时期，至今已有2000多年历史，通常在阳历的六月份。因战国时期的楚国诗人屈原在五月五日跳汨罗江自尽，后来人们亦将端午节作为纪念屈原的节日。
2009年9月，联合国教科文组织将端午节列入非遗名录，成为我国第一个获此殊荣的传统节日。
端午节最必不可少的传统食物就是粽子，食粽的传统源于汨罗江边的渔夫，将米丢入江中平息江中的蛟龙，希望它们不要伤害屈原。粽子一般由糯米制成，内包馅料，外裹粽叶。粽叶有的地方用竹叶，有的用芦苇叶，包裹后的粽子黏而不腻，粽叶清香。
赛龙舟也是端午节的主要习俗。关于赛龙舟的由来有祭奠屈原、祭奠水神、龙神等多种说法，但目前接受度较广的是相传屈原投江时，楚国百姓非常悲痛，在汨罗江上划船以期打捞起屈原的遗体。因此之后每年五月五日都会通过划龙舟来纪念这位爱国主义诗人。
民谚说：“清明插柳，端午插艾”。在端午节，家家都会洒扫庭除，将菖蒲、艾条插在门眉或悬于堂中，用于驱除蚊虫。
Dragon Boat Festival, also known as Duanwu Festival, is traditionally celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month on Chinese lunar calendar. With a history of more than 2,000 years, it is an important tradition celebrated nationwide in various forms to commemorate the ancient poet Qu Yuan, who committed suicide out of love for his country.
In September 2009, UNESCO added the Dragon Boat Festival to the Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the first Chinese festival to receive the honor.
The most important traditional food for the Dragon Boat Festival is zongzi — pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. The custom of eating Zongzi on that day originates from people throwing sticky rice dumplings into the river so the dragon underwater would not eat Qu Yuan's body.
Another well-known custom for Dragon Boat Festival is dragon boat racing, which was inspired by villagers’ valiant attempts to rescue Qu Yuan from the Milo River.
During the Dragon Boat Festival, Chinese will hang the branches of moxa and calamus around the doors of their homes to repel insects, flies, fleas and moths from the house.
