Every year on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar, the Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Duanwu Festival, is observed. As a result, the celebration is sometimes referred to as the “double fifth” feast. Despite not being a public holiday, it is a highly recognized cultural occasion in Singapore.
Dragon Boat Festival in 2024, 2025, and 2026:
| Year | Date | Day | Holiday |
| 2024 | June 10 | Monday | Dragon Boat Festival |
| 2025 | May 31 | Saturday | Dragon Boat Festival |
| 2026 | June 19 | Friday | Dragon Boat Festival |
These dates are estimated. We will update this page once the official announcement is out.
Dragon Boat Festival activities include tasty dishes in addition to witnessing dragon boats and their crews perform on the waves. During the festivities, triangle-shaped rice dumplings with delectable fillings are especially well-liked. Pork, water chestnuts, mushrooms, melons, and sweet palm sugar syrup are among the fillings.
Qu Yuan was a Chinese poet and minister who died during the Zhou Dynasty Warring States period, and the Dragon Boat Festival honors his memory. He was a Chu royal family cadet, but after the king decided to join forces with the kingdom of Qin, he was exiled and charged with treason.
Qu Yuan committed himself to the Milou River after the Qin army had taken control of the Chu capital. According to legend, the townspeople’s attempts to rescue him or bring back his body on a boat gave rise to the dragon boat competitions. During the attempt to save them, they also played drums and hammered their paddles in the sea. They carried on the celebration every year, which gave rise to both the yearly festival and the sport of dragon boating.
