<P> The Duanwu Festival , also often known , especially in the West , as the Dragon Boat Festival , is a traditional holiday originating in China , occurring near the summer solstice . It is also known as Zhongxiao Festival ( Chinese : 忠孝 節 ; pinyin : Zhōngxiàojié ) , commemorating fealty and filial piety . The festival now occurs on the 5th day of the 5th month of the traditional Chinese calendar , which is the source of the festival 's alternative name , the Double Fifth Festival . The Chinese calendar is lunisolar , so the date of the festival varies from year to year on the Gregorian calendar . In 2016 , it occurred on June 9 ; and in 2017 , on May 30 . </P>
what is the meaning of the dragon boat festival
commemorating fealty and filial piety