In the fifth lunar month, farmers in the Central region begin to rest. Corn and beans have been harvested since March and early April. By mid- and late April, rice is neatly stored in granaries in many places. In the afternoons, thunderstorms begin. The rains sometimes last from late afternoon until early morning.
The intense summer sun heats everything. The hot soil meets the rain, creating a strong evaporation phenomenon. A thick layer of moisture covers the space and plants. The sudden, erratic hot and humid environment is not only harmful to human health but also creates conditions for mold, bacteria, and insects to grow and develop.
And just in time, people everywhere began to prepare for the custom of killing insects during the Duanwu Festival, held at noon on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.
“Doan” means beginning, “Ngo” is the time at noon, when the sun reaches its highest position. Therefore, the celebration of Doan Ngo festival, although elaborately prepared, is usually bustling for only a few hours around noon.
Depending on the concept, each region has its own tradition of celebrating the Duanwu Festival with different customs. In the Central region, people have their own experiences with many meaningful activities: preparing offerings to their ancestors; picking leaves on the 5th day of the lunar month; applying powdered leaves of the red-flowered tree (some places call it the ground phoenix tree) on their bodies to kill insects; enjoying typical culinary dishes; flying kites, etc.
I remember the days when I was a child and followed my mother to the 5th day markets near the district capital. The markets were as crowded as during the Lunar New Year. The three areas that were always crowded with customers were the fruit stall, the traditional cakes stall, and the live duck stall.
After buying all the necessary goods, my mother and I went home to prepare the offering tray for the ancestors. The offering tray included traditional dishes such as: millet sweet soup, ash cake, sticky rice, boiled duck, spring rolls, stir-fried vegetables, and rice wine. In addition, many types of fruits such as lychee, mango, plum, and pineapple were also washed and placed on the tray by my mother, along with some areca nuts, betel leaves, and wine.
When everything was ready, my mother handed it over to my grandmother and took a basket to the garden to pick the leaves of the 5th day of the lunar month.
My mother said that on this day, almost all the leaves in the garden such as plantain leaves, piper lolot leaves, basil, guava leaves, passionflower, myrtle leaves, star fruit leaves, and oleander leaves... give off a pleasant aroma.
After collecting the fresh green leaves, my mother spread them out on the yard to dry. A few days later, she chopped them into small pieces to make water to drink gradually. According to ancient beliefs, the water from the 5th day of the month not only helps calm the mind and quench thirst, but also cures many digestive and dermatological diseases.
In households with elderly people, the task of killing insects and improving health at this time is more systematic with many unique procedures. Grandma often urges me and my siblings to run out to the yard at noon, look up at the sun to train our eyes. Those who are afraid of the glare will replace it by standing in the sun and rinsing their mouths with clean water three times. After that, each of us needs to drink a bowl of rice wine and eat an ash cake.
The Central region's ash cake is usually triangular in shape and wrapped in dot or dong leaves. The cake is made from sticky rice and ash water, has no filling, and has a bland taste so it is often eaten with molasses or sugar. The ash cake is soft, sticky, golden, and has a gentle aroma.
Like many other gathering occasions, the Duanwu Festival in the countryside is often bustling and crowded. Not only are individual families crowded with high tables and full dishes, but neighbors and neighbors after half a year of working and living also take time to sit together. Everyone talks about work, family, raising children and future wishes.
Nowadays, in the hustle and bustle of life, with the development of medical conditions, many procedures and folk beliefs related to the problem of killing insects have almost been forgotten. However, interesting activities such as drinking leaf water, picking leaves on the 5th day of the month, cooking a feast with the criteria of balancing yang energy are still maintained in many places. That is also a way for people to preserve traditions, reminding descendants to always look to their ancestors and roots.
Deep down, everyone hopes for the day of reunion, praying together for good things.
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/quay-quan-an-tet-doan-ngo-3155820.html
Comment (0)