TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Monday (June 10) is the Dragon Boat Festival (端午節) and like all festivals in Taiwan, there are a set of do's and don'ts to ensure good health, prosperity, and good luck for the rest of the year.
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month on the lunisolar calendar and commemorates Chinese poet and politician Qu Yuan (屈原). Qu Yuan was full of aspirations but was not valued by the king of Chu and was betrayed by treacherous ministers.
On this date, in despair and anguish, Qu Yuan committed suicide by holding a stone and jumping into the Miluo River. Concerned that fish would eat his body, people began to throw rice wrapped in bamboo leaves into the Miluo River.
They also urgently wanted to find Qu Yuan's body, so they raced their boats in the river. This tradition has evolved into the modern customs of eating zongzi (rice dumplings) and racing dragon boats.
As temperatures gradually rise and infectious diseases become prevalent, the Dragon Boat Festival period is considered the "evil month" or the "month of a hundred poisons." Therefore, during the festival, people drink plenty of water to bring wealth, take a mid-day shower, wash with sea salt, and wear scented sachets to drive away evil spirits and avoid misfortune.
Numerology expert Hsiao Meng (小孟) posted to Facebook the following list of do's and don'ts during the Dragon Boat Festival:
1. Do not visit patients in hospitals
In pre-Qin times, the fifth lunar month was considered the "poison month" and also called the "month of five poisons" due to the prevalence of infectious diseases. Because the changing of seasons spans nine days, it is also called the "nine poisons days."
During this period, it is important to be cautious of infectious diseases, wash hands frequently, and avoid gatherings. Unless truly ill, people should avoid visiting hospitals, seeing patients, or entering damp places like funeral homes.
2. Do not have sex
In "Master Lu's Spring and Autumn Annals," it is advised that people should practice abstinence and fasting during the fifth lunar month. Because the Dragon Boat Festival falls within the month of five poisons, it is necessary to maintain internal health and external harmony.
This means preserving the body's energy and not depleting one's vital essence, which would otherwise weaken the body and make it susceptible to evil influences. People are recommended to eat light and avoid killing, ideally adopting a vegetarian diet for safety.
3. Do not give birth to children
In the "Records of the Grand Historian, Biographies of Lord Mengchang," it is noted that Lord Mengchang was born on this day. His father advised his mother not to give birth to him on that day, believing that "a child born in this month will bring misfortune to his parents."
If the birth cannot be avoided, parents are advised to change the date of birth on identity documents after the child is born.
4. Do not go to forests or mountains
Seasonal changes bring increased rainfall and humidity. This creates an environment where insects, snakes, and rodents thrive, especially in grasslands, forests, and mountains.
People venturing into forests should carry insect repellent.
5. Do not gift zongzi that are tied together
Sticky rice dumplings (zongzi) are commonly eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival and can be given as gifts. However, in Taiwan, meat-filled zongzi hanging on a string is inauspicious because it harkens to a Taiwanese ritual called songrouzong (送肉粽) in which the souls of those who have committed suicide by hanging, euphemistically referred to as "hanging zongzi" are banished.
When gifting a person a batch of meat zongzi, cut any string that links a cluster of them together. If one receives a cluster of zongzi, immediately cut the strings that bind them together.
6. Do not go to the seaside
Water ghosts are believed to be more active during the festival and may try to take people away. The festival coincides with the rainy season, leading to increased rainfall and rising water levels, making it dangerous to be near the sea.
7. Do not lose the sachet
Children and adults traditionally wear embroidered sachets filled with assorted contents on Dragon Boat Festival to repel insects, ward off evil spirits, and ensure peace. To lose one's sachet during the Dragon Boat Festival is taboo as it is believed the loss will bring bad luck within a year.
The following are six do's recommended Hsiao Meng:
1. Drink 5 cups of water to boost wealth
As the Dragon Boat Festival has the strongest yang energy of the year, Hsiao Meng suggests drinking five small cups of water between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It's crucial to drink during this specific time frame for effectiveness.
While drinking, envision a field of gold. After the festival, opportunities for financial gain should flourish.
2. Take a mid-day shower for health and safety
During the peak yang hours of 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., taking a shower can enable one to receive the energy of the noon sun and dispel negative magnetic fields. This solar energy enveloping the body promotes health and safety throughout the year.
During the shower, one can also rub their body with bamboo leaves.
3. Wash with sea salt
Sea salt purifies the environment, eliminates negative energies from the body, and enhances fortune. Hence, those with bathtubs can soak in sea salt, while others can buy sea salt to carry and wash their hands.
Adding a little sea salt while washing hands cleanses them of bacteria and enhances the magnetic field.
4. Use Green Phantom Quartz
Green Phantom Quartz enhances fortune and maintains inner peace and spiritual purification amid turmoil. Placing it at a 45-degree angle to a door inside the house activates intelligence, enhances spirituality, and keeps diseases at bay.
5. Boil 10 coins in water
Symbolizing the sum of the fifth day of the fifth month (5+5=10), one can boil 10 coins in water during the Dragon Boat Festival. After boiling, remove the coins and place them on a banknote.
Spend the coins after ten days to increase wealth.
6. Put Chinese mugwort outside the home
Placing Chinese mugwort (Artemisia argyi) plants outside the house can repel pests, bring good luck, and ward off evil spirits, preventing negative energies from entering.
