Can you go back to your parents' house on the Dragon Boat Festival?
There are two different views about whether daughters can return to their parents' home on the Dragon Boat Festival. In some areas, it is said that they can, while in others, it is said that they cannot.View One:Cannot
In Chinese folk tradition, there is a saying that once a daughter is married, she should not return to her parents' home on the Dragon Boat Festival. Even if she does return, she should not eat the zongzi (rice dumplings) from her parents' home, otherwise it will bring bad luck.
This custom is particularly popular in Shandong. They believe that women are not allowed to return to their parents' home on any major festival. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, they even have to "hide from the lanterns" and avoid seeing them. There is also a proverb that says, "If you eat the Dragon Boat zongzi of your parents, the whole family will be wiped out." This means that eating the zongzi of your parents on the Dragon Boat Festival could bring disaster to your family.
View Two:Can
In most regions, it is a traditional custom for daughters to return to their parents' home on the Dragon Boat Festival.
In ancient times, after a daughter was married, she lived with her husband's family and rarely saw her own parents. From the Tang Dynasty until the end of the Qing Dynasty, there was a custom of returning to the parents' home on the Dragon Boat Festival, known as "returning to the husband's family." According to Shen Bang's "Wan Shu Zaji" in the Ming Dynasty: "On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, daughters should wear the Dragon Boat sachet, carry mugwort, and wear the five-poison talismans. In the Wanyi area, during the period from the first to the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, young girls are dressed up to show their beauty. Married daughters also return to their parents' home." Therefore, the Dragon Boat Festival is also called the "Daughter's Festival."
The custom of returning to the parents' home on the Dragon Boat Festival exists in many places. For example, in the folk traditions of Zigui, Hubei, there is a saying: "The Dragon Boat Festival is more important than New Year's, and daughters return to their parents' home." The Dragon Boat Festival is even more solemn than the Spring Festival, and married women must bring their husbands and children back to their parents' home to visit their parents. They may walk, ride in a sedan chair, horse, or boat to return home, and reunite with their family for the Dragon Boat Festival. The parents of the daughter prepare wine and dishes and invite relatives and friends to spend a happy day together. In addition, many other places such as Beijing and Guangzhou also have the custom of returning to the parents' home on the Dragon Boat Festival, although specific customs vary by region.
What are the taboos and superstitions of the Dragon Boat Festival?
1. Do Not Say "Happy"The Dragon Boat Festival is the anniversary of Qu Yuan, one of its main meanings. Therefore, on this day, you should not greet your friends and family with "Happy Festival," but instead say "Wishing You Good Health on the Dragon Boat Festival!"
2. Avoid the "Evil Month"
In feng shui customs, the fifth lunar month is called the "Evil Month," an unlucky month. The fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the Dragon Boat Festival, is also called the "Double Fifth," meaning evil upon evil, the unluckiest day of the month. Therefore, there is a custom of "hiding at noon" on the Dragon Boat Festival. Children under one year old must be sent to their grandmother's home to ward off evil and misfortune.
3. Avoid Swimming
Some places prohibit swimming on the Dragon Boat Festival, especially in areas where people have drowned before. It is believed that on this day, many drowned spirits return to the world of the living to find substitutes, so they throw zongzi into the water to share with them, so that they don't target you.
4. Avoid Losing the Fragrant Bag
On the Dragon Boat Festival, children wear fragrant bags to ward off evil. After the festival, the fragrant bags worn by the children must be burned, representing the removal of bad luck. If the fragrant bag is lost, the child may have problems throughout the year.
5. Avoid Sexual Intercourse
During the Dragon Boat Festival, it is not advisable to engage in sexual activity, especially during the nine toxic days, which can easily lead to being infected by "toxic" energy and harm health.
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