What I know about Dragon Boat festival: 1) I got a day off work. 2) It's traditional to eat zongzi. 3) Dragon boats are probably involved in some way.
What Chinese people know about Dragon Boat festival: (see above).
I heard several foreigners ask Chinese people about the festival, both at work and on the subway. No one was really able to describe the history behind the holiday. Some emperor was mentioned but it was unclear to all what was his role. I'm starting to suspect you can blame most anything on an emperor in China and really, who is going to know? I've since done some research (aka I read the Wikipedia page). No mention of an emperor but apparently the festival is celebrated by 1) racing dragon boats 2) eating zongzi 3) drinking realgar wine. Hey, two out of three ain't bad!
I can't really describe how much I enjoyed that visit. I've ranted about the joys of tourism but this was something more, and something I couldn't buy a ticket to attend. I felt blessed to have been included in a family celebration and casually accepted, despite being unable to speak the language.
If you were wondering, the dinner conversation happened solely in Chinese, with my friend occasionally turning and telling me the gist of the conversation. Some things don't need translation, like when a mother is trying to get you to eat more food. Some things need more translation, although often I have an idea about what is being discussed based on the context of the situation and the body language or the vibes in the room. At one point, our host's mother was speaking to one of my co-workers. My friend turned to me and said "My mother is asking her why she doesn't have a boyfriend." "I can tell," I replied. And I could. Maybe because I've been on the receiving end of that inquiry more times than I can count, maybe because I recognized her slightly uncomfortable squirm in her chair as the questioner focused on her with laser-like intensity, but I knew the conversation was revolving around my friend's age and her love life. China may seem like a foreign place but I can tell you from experience people are people anywhere, and a single girl's love life is considered excellent fodder for conversation by most.
Happy Belated Dragon Boat festival!