đoan ngọ
Definition
- Proper Noun:
- The Duanwu Festival: A traditional Vietnamese festival observed on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month. It is culturally equivalent to the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. The day is associated with rituals to ward off insects and disease at the peak of the summer heat.
Usage Examples
- Proper Noun:
- Gia đình tôi ăn bánh tro vào ngày Tết Đoan Ngọ. (My family eats banh tro [alkaline rice cake] on Duanwu Festival.)
- Tết Đoan Ngọ còn được gọi là Tết diệt sâu bọ. (Duanwu Festival is also called the Festival for Exterminating Pests.)
Advanced Usage
- The festival is a time for specific traditional foods and customs aimed at purifying the body and preventing illness during the hot season.
Variants and Related Words
- Đoan Ngũ: An alternate, less common name for the same festival.
- Đoan Dương: Another alternate name, meaning "the zenith of the sun," referencing the summer solstice period.
Synonyms
- Dragon Boat Festival: The common English name for this East Asian festival.
- Fifth day of the fifth lunar month festival: A descriptive synonym.
Related Cultural Notes
- "Tết diệt sâu bọ": Literally "Festival for Exterminating Insects/Pests," a common vernacular name for Đoan Ngọ in Vietnam, highlighting one of its main folk purposes.
- The festival involves eating glutinous rice wines and sour fruits believed to "kill" intestinal parasites and ailments.