In China, The Dragon Boat Festival is held on May 5 of the lunar calendar to wish for good health. The Dragon Boat Festival was first brought to Japan during the Nara period (AD 710–794). In the Edo period (AD 1603–1867), the holiday was officially established as Boy's Festival in Japan.

Despite sharing the same date, they are celebrated quite differently. In this article, we will talk about the cultural differences between Dragon Boat Festival in China and Boys' Festival in Japan. 

We will also introduce the Japanese sweets that people eat on the day of the celebration as a tradition. Now let's dive into the world of "lucky" snacks and discover new ways of enjoying the likes of taiyaki and mochi.

Dragon Boat Festival in China

Dragon Boat Festival is one of the four major traditional holidays in China. On May 5 in the lunar calendar, dragon boat races are held as a tradition, and people are eating different kinds of rice dumplings.

Dragon Boat Racing first began in memory of Qu Yuan, a politician from the ancient Chinese state of Chu. This tradition originated at the river where Qu Yuan had taken his own life, and people were playing drums to scare away the fish so his body would not be eaten.

People also made rice dumplings, which are steamed rice stuffed into bamboo tubes, to feed the fish in the hope that they would then be too full to eat Qu Yuan's body in the river. Rice dumplings have since evolved into various styles in different regions. It has become an important part of the Dragon Boat Festival.

Additionally, the fifth month in the lunar calendar was a time when diseases would become prevalent in China. Hence the tradition of hanging irises and mugworts on doors in order to ward off evil spirits. It's believed that medical herbs could prevent misfortune from happening.

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is now not only in memory of Qu Yuan, but also a holiday to ward off evil spirits and pray for good health.

Boys' Festival in Japan

Boys' Festival in Japan originated from the Dragon Boat Festival in China, and it is customary in both countries to bathe with iris leaves, known as shobu-yu, or enjoy kashiwa-mochi, a rice cake flavored with mugwort leaves. In Japan, it has also evolved into a holiday when people celebrate the birth of baby boys and pray for their good health and happiness. So how did this change come about?

The idea is believed to first began in the Edo period (AD 1603–1867). During this time in Japan, there was a tradition to particularly celebrate new born baby boys in the society of samurai. As the Chinese pronunciation of the word "iris" an herb associated with the Dragon Boat Festival, sounds very similar to the Japanese saying of "holding martial arts in high regard," people in Japan started to make the connection and eventually developed their own takes on the Chinese festival.

In addition, the reason of Boys' Festival being on May 5 also has to do with the similarity in pronunciation between Dragon Boat Festival in Chinese and the number "5" in Japanese.

The Japanese eat rice cakes wrapped with iris-soaked mugwort leaves on this holiday just like what people do in China. But only in Japan has it become a celebration for boys.

Lucky Sweets to Eat on Dragon Boat Festival and Boys' Festival

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival and Japanese Boys' Festival have their respective cultural meanings and traditions. But what they have in common is the idea of wishing people a healthy and happy life.

How about celebrating these meaning festivals with your family and some Japanese sweets this year?

Let's take a look at some of the Japanese sweets from Zelico that people believe would bring good luck! 

1. Happy Coming Mochi

A variety pack of rice pancakes with 5 different flavors.
Mochi with scent of Japanese Mugwort, Mochi with plum. Mochi with sweet red bean paste with walnuts, mugwort mochi with scented chestnut powder, Mochi with high class chestnut paste

・Japanese Mugwort flavor
・Ume (Japanese plum) flavor
・Red Bean Paste flavor (with Walnuts)
・Japanese Mugwort flavor (with aromatic soybean flour)
・Chestnut flavor

Mugwort is a medicinal herb traditionally used at Dragon Boat Festival in order to ward off evil spirits. Try our Happy Coming Mochi that would bring good luck to your loved ones!

2. Japanese Seafood Cracker KAISEN OKONOMI

An assortment of seafood rice crackers with flavors such as shrimp and squid. From sweet and sour flavors to the refreshing spiciness of wasabi, this variety pack lets you enjoy a variety of flavors all at once.

Available in packs of 45g, 130g, and 300g, our assortment of seafood rice crackers is here to make your festivals even more meaningful. Once you try these delectable crackers, we're confident you'll be hooked! Celebrate with your loved ones and savor the flavors of our Japanese Seafood Cracker KAISEN OKONOMI this year.

3. Japanese “Enmusubi” Taiyaki

It is a common type of Japanese sweet called Taiyaki, a fish-shaped pancake made from fluffy castella sponge cake with different fillings inside. We have the following 4 different flavors for you to choose from.

• Azuki: Red bean paste filling that's moderately sweet.
• Custard: Authentic custard-flavored cream.
• Matcha: Uji Matcha flavored cream.
• Chocolate: Milk chocolate flavored cream made from Ghanaian cacao beans.

Enjoy the flavors you love with our Japanese “Enmusubi” Taiyaki and celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival and Boys' Festival with us this year!

4. Happy Taiyaki Selection

It is a common type of Japanese sweet called Taiyaki, a fish-shaped pancake made from fluffy castella sponge cake with different fillings inside.
This variety pack lets you enjoy the following 3 different flavors.

• Azuki: Red bean paste filling that's moderately sweet.
• Custard: Authentic custard-flavored cream.
• Chocolate: Milk chocolate flavored cream made from Ghanaian cacao beans.

Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival and Boys' Festival with our delightful Happy Taiyaki Selection. This perfect treat combines our famous Azuki flavor, the sweet and thick Custard flavor, and the popular Chocolate flavor, all in one pack.

Summary: Japanese Sweets for Dragon Boat Festival and Boys’ Festival

In this article, we've talked about the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in China and Boys' Festival in Japan. Both festivals have their respective cultural meanings and traditions, but what they have in common is the idea of wishing people a healthy and happy life.
We've also introduced some of the "lucky" Japanese sweets that would bring good luck to your loved ones!

On the day of these traditional festivals that have been handed down from ancient times to the present, let's celebrate and enjoy the Zelico sweets together!