đoan ngũ
Definition
- Noun:
- Duanwu Festival: The primary meaning of "đoan ngũ" is a traditional Vietnamese festival held on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. It is culturally equivalent to the Chinese Duanwu Festival, often associated with warding off evil spirits and disease at the peak of the summer's heat.
- Double Fifth Festival: An alternative name for the same festival, derived from its date (the fifth day of the fifth month).
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Tết Đoan Ngũ được tổ chức vào mùng 5 tháng 5 âm lịch. (The Duanwu Festival is held on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month.)
- Vào ngày Đoan Ngũ, người ta thường ăn bánh tro và hoa quả. (On the Double Fifth Festival, people often eat ash cakes and fruit.)
Advanced Usage
- The festival is also associated with specific customs such as eating (alkaline rice dumplings), picking medicinal herbs at noon, and rituals to expel insects and bad luck.
Variants and Related Words
- Tết Đoan Ngọ: This is a more common and standard variant name for the same festival in Vietnamese. "Đoan Ngọ" specifically refers to the period of the sun being at its highest point (noon), which is central to the festival's timing and rituals.
- Tết Đoan Ngọ còn có tên gọi khác là Tết Giết Sâu Bọ. (The Đoan Ngọ Festival also has another name: the Pest-Killing Festival.)
Synonyms
- Duanwu Festival: The standard English name for this East Asian tradition.
- Double Fifth Festival: A descriptive English name based on the date.
- Dragon Boat Festival: While this name is strongly associated with the Chinese festival and its dragon boat races, it is sometimes used as a broader cultural reference. Note: The boat racing custom is less emphasized in the traditional Vietnamese observance.
Related Cultural Notes
- Tết Giết Sâu Bọ: Literally "Pest-Killing Festival," is a common folk name for this day in Vietnam, highlighting the custom of eating foods believed to kill parasites and ward off illness.
- Một tục lệ trong Tết Đoan Ngũ là ăn cơm rượu để "giết sâu bọ". (A custom during the Duanwu Festival is eating fermented glutinous rice to "kill pests.")