Origin and meaning of the Duanwu Festival

The Duanwu Festival, or popularly known as the insect extermination festival, falls on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month every year.

The Duanwu Festival , also known as the Duanyang Festival, is held at noon on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month every year.

In 2023, the Duanwu Festival falls on Thursday, June 22 of the solar calendar.

This is a traditional holiday in some East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China. "Doan" means beginning, "Ngo" is the period from 11am to 1pm, eating Doan Ngo festival means eating at noon. Doan Ngo means when the sun starts to be shortest, closest to the sky and earth.

In Vietnam, the Duanwu Festival is also known by a rather popular name, "insect killing festival". Simply put, this is the day to launch the catching of insects, destroying pests that are harmful to crops.

According to legend, one day after the harvest, the farmers were celebrating because of the bumper crop, but that year, insects came in droves and ate away the fruit and food they had harvested. Everyone was having a headache, not knowing how to get rid of these insects. Suddenly, an old man from afar came and called himself Doi Truan. He instructed the people in each house to make a simple offering consisting of ash cakes and fruits, then go out in front of their house to exercise. The people followed suit and after a while, the insects fell down in droves.

The old man also added: Every year on this day, the insects are very aggressive. Every year on this day, if you do as I told you, you will be able to control them. The grateful people were about to thank the old man, but he had already disappeared. To commemorate this, the people named this day "Insect Extermination Festival", some people called it "Doan Ngo Festival" because the offering time is usually at noon.

Origin and meaning of the Duanwu Festival — Ash cake is indispensable on the Duanwu Festival. (Illustration photo)

Currently, in some Vietnamese villages, people still maintain the old customs and attach great importance to this Tet holiday. After the Lunar New Year, perhaps the "Insect Killing Tet" is the warmest reunion Tet and has many customs associated with people's lives... so children and grandchildren, no matter how far away they work, try to arrange to return.

At this time, fruits and flowers begin to bloom, hoping for a bountiful harvest, so fruits are indispensable offerings. In addition, there are other dishes depending on the customs of each locality.

On the occasion of the Duanwu Festival, every family prepares offerings to their ancestors. It is believed that this is the time when the fruits on the trees and the leaves on the branches begin to blossom and bear fruit, and they offer offerings to their ancestors to wish for a bountiful harvest.

After the Duanwu Festival, there are customs of killing insects. The whole family gathers to eat sour fruits, sticky rice wine, and ash cakes... to kill insects and ward off diseases.

(According to vtc.vn)

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