Duck meat and duck dishes are a familiar and beloved part of the daily lives of people in the Mekong Delta region. However, compared to chicken – a common food for ceremonial offerings – duck meat is less frequently used in traditional rituals. Nonetheless, during the Duanwu Festival (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month), it is a custom in many localities to consume duck meat. For some families, duck becomes an indispensable dish, carrying profound cultural, medical, and spiritual significance during this festival.
What is the Duanwu Festival?
The Duanwu Festival is one of the traditional festivals celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month annually. This ancient festival is observed in many Asian countries, such as China and South Korea, although each place has its own unique customs.
The name “Duanwu” has a special implication: “Duan” means beginning, and “Wu” refers to noon. Duanwu marks the transition of seasons, as the climate enters the hottest and most oppressive period of the year. In ancient times, it was believed that Duanwu was when yang energy reached its peak, creating an environment conducive to the proliferation of evil spirits and insects. Thus, the Duanwu Festival is also known as the Dragon Boat Festival, a time for purging the body of negative influences and praying for health and good fortune.
Why eat duck meat during the Duanwu Festival?
There are three main reasons why duck meat has become a characteristic dish during the Duanwu Festival:
1. Duck meat helps balance the body’s temperature: According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, duck meat has a cold nature and a sweet taste. It possesses cooling properties, nourishes the yin, and benefits the organs. This makes it ideal for heat dissipation during the scorching summer days. The Duanwu Festival occurs in the middle of summer when people are prone to dehydration, fatigue, fever, or sore throat. Consuming duck meat not only provides essential nutrition but also helps cool the body and prevent or treat certain summer ailments. This practice aligns with the folk belief of “eating for healing.”
2. Spiritual significance – Suppressing evil spirits: Another intriguing explanation stems from the homophonic nature of the word “duck” in Chinese. In Mandarin, the word for “duck” sounds similar to the word “壓” (“ya”), which means “to suppress.” The Duanwu Festival is believed to be the peak period for the proliferation of evil spirits. Therefore, eating duck meat symbolizes the act of suppressing evil spirits and driving away bad omens, thus bringing peace and good luck to the family. This spiritual aspect is a crucial reason why duck meat holds a special place during this festival.
3. The most delicious time of the year to eat duck, coinciding with the harvest season: According to the traditional agricultural calendar, the Duanwu Festival also aligns with the time when farmers have just finished harvesting rice. The ducks, having been reared in the fields throughout the farming season, are now plump and at their most flavorful. Folk wisdom suggests that at this time, duck meat is firm, sweet, and free from any unpleasant odor. It is ideal for preparing various delicious dishes such as boiled duck, roasted duck, and duck with bamboo shoots and vermicelli. Moreover, with the harvest completed and families gathering together, the abundance of ducks during this period often leads to lower prices, making it more accessible for families to come together and celebrate a bountiful harvest.
Can duck meat be used for offerings instead of chicken?
Although duck meat has become a characteristic dish during the Duanwu Festival, it is rarely used for offerings. This is because, in traditional culture, ducks are not as common or as revered as chickens.
Moreover, duck meat has a stronger odor compared to chicken. Ducks also have a less graceful appearance and a distinctive call, which makes them less suitable for ceremonial offerings.
During the Duanwu Festival, families typically offer incense, fruits, flowers, and glutinous rice wine, but they usually do not include duck on the offering altar.
What else do Vietnamese people eat during the Duanwu Festival besides duck meat?
In addition to duck meat, the Duanwu Festival in Vietnam features several other characteristic dishes that carry the significance of “killing insects,” dispelling evil, and purging the body.
- Glutinous rice wine: This is a traditional dish that cannot be missed, especially in the South. It is believed that consuming glutinous rice wine early in the morning will help eliminate harmful parasites in the digestive tract.
- Bánh ú tro (ash cake): Made from glutinous rice soaked in ash water, this cake has a refreshing taste and is easy to digest. It also has a cooling effect, which is beneficial during the summer heat.
- Sour fruits: Such as plums, apricots, lychees, and mangoes, help stimulate digestion and symbolize the expulsion of pests.
- Mung bean dessert and floating rice balls: These sweet and rustic desserts, imbued with the flavors of home, are often served as the finishing touch to the Duanwu Festival feast.
Other customs for dispelling evil during the Duanwu Festival
In addition to the traditional dishes, the Duanwu Festival is also associated with several unique folk customs:
- Dyeing children’s fingernails: Ancient people believed that dyeing children’s fingernails with natural dyes (usually from the leaves of the bauhinia tree) would help ward off evil spirits and protect them from illness.
- Tree-shaking ceremony: This ritual involves climbing a tree and pleading with it, while someone below brandishes a stick as if to cut it down. This custom expresses the hope for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
- Taboos: On this day, people are advised not to look into mirrors at night, and to avoid visiting gloomy places or hospitals to prevent bad luck.
The Duanwu Festival is not only a traditional festival rich in cultural and spiritual significance but also an occasion for people to take care of their health through special foods. Duck meat, with its nutritional value, cooling properties, and spiritual significance, has become a representative dish during this festival. Savoring delicious duck dishes amid the sweltering summer heat is a way for Vietnamese people to connect with their ancestral traditions and preserve the unique folk culture.
Reference for contemplation
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