Top 10 Traditions During Tết Đoan Ngọ in Vietnam

Sticky rice cakes (Bánh Ú Tro) are an essential and unique dish during Tết Đoan Ngọ. To make a perfect cake, the cook must be meticulous in selecting the ingredients, especially the fragrant sticky rice, which is soaked in alkaline water, and the wrapping leaves, which must be dong leaves, not banana leaves.

The cakes are usually wrapped in clusters, typically 7-10 pieces, and then boiled. On this day, parents or grandparents often prepare a large batch so that when the family comes together, they can enjoy the cakes, drink cooling herbal tea, and share stories around the table.

Tết Đoan Ngọ falls at a time when the sun is closest to the Earth, a period filled with intense energy. To ensure peace, happiness, and smooth sailing in life, it's customary to perform specific rituals on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, believed to attract good fortune and prosperity.

This holiday is a time for visiting family, friends, and those you owe gratitude, such as teachers or healers. In the past, it was also a tradition for young men who had proposed marriage but not yet wed to visit their future in-laws' home with gifts. These gifts could include small birds, pairs of geese, sticky rice, green beans, black beans, brown sugar, and fruits.

The 5th day of the 5th lunar month, known as Tết Đoan Ngọ, is a significant holiday for the Vietnamese people. The term 'Đoan' means the beginning, while 'Ngọ' refers to midday, the hottest part of the day. Thus, Tết Đoan Ngọ marks the start of the peak heat of the year. Traditionally, this is also the time when farmers finish their harvests and offer incense to express gratitude to Heaven, Earth, and their ancestors for a bountiful season.

As a result, many families prepare elaborate altars with carefully chosen offerings, such as the finest flowers and fruits, to bring good fortune and peace to their homes.

In Vietnam, Tết Đoan Ngọ has been adapted as the 'worm-killing festival' and a time for ancestor worship. It's also known as the 'Tết to kill pests' because the transition between seasons is believed to bring about sicknesses. On this day, many traditional practices are followed to prevent illness, including bathing in herbal water made from nature’s plants.

Typically, after consuming rice wine to drive away pests, people will bathe in water boiled with herbs such as dill, perilla leaves, lemongrass, and bamboo leaves. This herbal bath is believed to treat colds and improve overall well-being, with dill being a traditional remedy in herbal medicine.

Ancient wisdom holds that bathing in herbal infusions helps cleanse the body, rejuvenate the spirit, and ward off sickness. Some people even use the herbal water to wash their hair or steam themselves with the fragrant herbs.

Since ancient times, the rural areas of Vietnam have practiced the unique tradition of picking leaves on the 5th of May. It is believed that leaves harvested between noon (11 AM - 1 PM) on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month are imbued with the strongest positive energy, containing the essence of both heaven and earth, which is said to cure various ailments.

There are many different types of 5th-day leaves, varying by region, but commonly harvested plants include wormwood, dragon’s blood, perilla, dandelion, lotus, and jasmine. These leaves are dried and used for medicinal teas. While this tradition of personally picking the leaves has become less common, people now prefer to purchase them for making herbal drinks or bath infusions. As a result, markets everywhere, from rural villages to city streets, bustle with activity during the 5th day of May as people prepare to buy the leaves for their seasonal remedies.

This is a fascinating tradition from ancient Tết Đoan Ngọ celebrations. Each region has its own way of examining trees, but all practices occur precisely at noon. The trees involved in this ritual are typically fruit-bearing trees that produce few or no fruits, or trees that have been plagued by pests.

The ritual requires two participants. One climbs the tree and pretends to be the tree itself, while the other stands below, holding a machete. The person at the base of the tree questions why the tree is slow to bear fruit, threatening to cut it down. The person on the tree, acting as the tree, begs for mercy and promises to produce an abundance of fruit.

Tết Đoan Ngọ, also known as Tết Đoan Dương, is celebrated at noon on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. It is a traditional East Asian holiday closely tied to the cyclical nature of the seasons and the weather throughout the year. During this time, people participate in various rituals, including pest control, releasing animals, and bathing in herbal infusions to ensure good luck and health for the year ahead.

Tết Đoan Ngọ is considered an especially auspicious day, making it an ideal time for 'phóng sinh' – the act of releasing captive animals back into nature. This practice is believed to bring blessings and good fortune to those who carry it out.

In ancient times, it was believed that the human body, particularly the digestive system, harbored pests or parasites. If these were not eliminated, they would continue to multiply and cause harm. These parasites are said to appear only on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, which is why people performed rituals to expel them on this day. However, some of these beliefs and customs are fading in modern times.

On this day, Vietnamese people often consume sour fruits such as plums, mangoes, oranges, and pomelos, hoping to rid their bodies of illness and pests. These fruits are also commonly featured on the family altars for offerings. Additionally, eating seasonal fruits symbolizes a wish for prosperity and a flourishing life, where plants bloom and bear fruit.

According to traditional beliefs, one can expel pests from the body by consuming specific foods, fruits, and fermented rice wine on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. Fermented sticky rice, made from glutinous rice and fermented with alcohol, is a popular dish for this day. It has a sweet flavor and is believed to treat various ailments such as fatigue, thirst, and excessive sweating.

During Tết Đoan Ngọ, family members often clean themselves thoroughly and gather together to eat fermented sticky rice. This long-standing custom symbolizes the desire to rid the body of harmful toxins and promote vitality and good health.

In many rural areas, especially in villages, people often gather to pick medicinal leaves at noon. This tradition holds that noon is the best time to gather such leaves, as the sun is at its peak, and the yang energy is believed to be at its strongest.

Groups typically go out to collect various plants known for their medicinal properties, particularly those that help treat skin conditions and digestive issues. After harvesting, they boil the leaves to prepare medicinal baths or steam treatments to either prevent or cure ailments.