米粒（陳美麗）| Mei-Lih Chiang
吃粽節
農曆5月初5日是端午節，是傳統節慶日之一，俗稱吃粽節或五日節，粽子是端午節的標誌食物，象徵著團圓和祝福。
仲夏五月天氣漸熱，毒害之蟲類到處活動、使人們很容易因此得傳染病或暴卒，所以古人認為五月是歹月，五月五日尤其不吉利。
因防病瘟，人們習俗在五月初五這一天都要在門上插蒲艾草，貼神符，在身上帶香包，並且要喝雄薰酒，為的是要消災保病，驅邪迎福。
各地方人民都會舉行豐富多彩的慶祝活動，比如賽龍舟、掛艾草、佩戴香囊等。在眾多傳統習俗中，最讓人期待的莫過於品嘗美味的粽子了！
至於吃棕子的來源，傳說多種，較為傳說記述的是中國楚國時代的愛國詩人屈原之故事，他因憂國憂民，為了促使醉生夢死的君臣覺醒而在五月五日投江自殺，鄉人聽訊後就划船去江中尋找屈原遺體，但都沒找到。
後來大家才用竹葉包裏糯米作成棕子，賽船爭先到達出事地點，把棕子丟到江裡當作祭品紀念他的愛國忠心，這就成為棕子和競龍舟的起源。
棕子歷經年代其吃粽子的意義和目的己淡漠，隨著吃的潮流各地區各自溶合其傳統風味美食而延續發展。
其煮法和著料甚五花ハ門，東西南北口味多，大小体積形狀不致，名堂名號百出。各地都出口碑嚮亮的招牌棕子。然而相信每個人最偏愛的可能還是自己長大在家鄉吃的那種, 最留念相思好吃的是自己母親作的那棕子。
棕子種類繁多，但確有其根本不變的共同原料：糯米和竹葉，因水土文化風俗的不同或創新立異，各有其獨立的名號和獨特口味，不管是煮的，蒸的、是甜的、是鹼的，是肉粽、素粽或粿粽，加的是土豆、米豆或紅豆等等，其共同要素必是QQ糯米和竹葉香氣。
現在我們吃棕子幾乎都是為打牙祭或懷味懷鄉之情。粽子也隨時可買來吃或作來吃，己沒有什麼特殊節日的意義了。
在今日這世界人性政治不安不平等不平靜的時代，到處見暴政和種族不平等的被捆綁壓迫，吃粽子的時候，該會思想到吃粽子的意涵原由吧？
查究一下古時候楚國有屈原？印度有甘地的非暴力運動？天安門有年青學生碾壓犧牲？非洲、中東、南美各地各有其奮鬥不己的烈士，都追求正義理念強烈起抗議的行動，都付出他們犧牲的代價？要有多少的屈原和鄭南榕才能喚起大家嚮應人民和民主自由改革的運動，以及促進世界和平的合作？
現在五月節，隨俗來帶個香包除邪改運，吃個粽子打牙祭，也該推思廣意紀念那些抗惡除霸的啟示。
在海外的鄉親們現在也時興起團聚一起吃粽子，溫馨鄉情鄉味，也是聯誼和義賣募款的一熱門選項。更可推思廣意來紀念那些犧牲的烈士們，啟發愛國護國的意識和行動，來加油龍舟賽，推思吃粽的原涵，眾起包棕的包容和結心，共鼓龍舟合力划至理想的世界.
(華府同鄉會鄉訊2009文稿)
<2026-05-12>
Zongzi(粽子)
The 5th day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar is the Dragon Boat Festival,(端午節), one of the traditional celebrating’s days, commonly known as the Eating Zongzi Day or the Five Days Festival.
Zongzi (Chinese: 粽子); Common translated as rice dumpling, is a traditional Chinese rice dish made of wrapping glutinous rice with leaves of reed or bamboo, forming a pyramid shape cook with stream or boiled. Zongzis are the iconic food of the Dragon Boat Festival, symbolizing reunion, and blessings.
In midsummer and May, the weather is getting hotter, and poisonous insects are moving everywhere, making it easy for people to get infectious diseases or die suddenly, so the ancients believed that May was a bad month, and May 5th was especially unlucky.
Due to the prevention of epidemics, people have the custom of inserting wormwood on the door on the fifth day of the fifth month, sticking talismans, carrying sachets on their bodies, and drinking Realgar Wine(雄黃酒), in order to eliminate disasters and protect diseases, drive away evil spirits and welcome blessings.
People will hold a variety of celebrations, such as dragon boat racing, hanging wormwood, wearing sachets, etc. Among the many traditional customs, the most anticipated thing is to taste delicious Zongzi.
As for the source of eating Zongzi, there are many legends, the more popular one is that Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet from the Chu era in China, committed suicide by throwing himself into the river on May 5 in order to awaken the corrupt ruler and his officials.
Later, everyone used glutinous rice in bamboo leaf to make Zongzi, and the boat race rushed to the accident site and threw the Zongzi into the river as a sacrifice to commemorate his patriotic loyalty, which became the origin of Zongzi and dragon boat racing.
Over the years, the meaning and purpose of eating Zongzi have become indifferent, but they have continued to become a traditional delicacy with the spread of food trends and regional flavors.
Zongzi differ by region in ingredients, flavor, size, and shape, and many famous styles are widely celebrated. Even so, most people’s favorite is usually the Zongzi they grew up eating in their hometown—and the one they remember most are their mother’s.
There are many types of Zongzi but they all have the same fundamentally unchanging essential materials are glutinous rice and bamboo leaves。The leaves give a special aroma and flavor to the glutinous rice and fillings.
Because of differences in local water and soil, culture, customs, and innovation, each type has its own name and distinctive flavor. Whether boiled or steamed, whether is meat-filled or vegetarian. Good Zongzi should have springy glutinous rice and the fragrance of bamboo leaves.
Nowadays, we eat Zongzi for enjoying the taste or to reminisce about nostalgia. The Zongzi now can be bought or eaten at any time, and so there is no special festival or meaning for a reason to eat Zongzi.
In view of day’s era of human and political instability, inequality, and peace, we see tyranny and racial inequality being tied up and oppressed everywhere.
Thinking why there was Qu Yuan in Chu in ancient times? why there Gandhi’s nonviolent movement in India? Why young students crushed and die in Tiananmen Square? There are martyrs all over Africa, the Middle East, and South America, why do they pay such a great price and sacrifice? How many Qu Yuan and Zheng Nanrong do it take for to arouse the movement for the reform of the people, democracy and freedom, and cooperation in promoting world peace?
Now on the May Festival, we should also think broadly to commemorate the revelations of fighting evil and eliminating hegemony.
Oversea Taiwanese , are enjoying to get together to celebrating Zongzi day, not only not to forget their roots, it is warming the taste of the past, but also thinking broadly to commemorate those martyrs who sacrificed their lives, inspiring the awareness and action of patriotism and protecting the country, and come to cheer for the dragon boat race. Drum the dragon boat together and row together to the ideal world.
(ONYTPC 2026)
<2026-05-12>