“Five-colored amulets”sewing street in the Đoan Ngọ Festival of yore (Hàng Mụn Street)
Hàng Mụn Street (now Hàng Bút Street) is a small street of the poor who lived on haberdashery. They bought small bits of cloth and then sewed them into five-colored amulets which were used to carry coriander seeds or realgar powder and decorated with different types of cloth fruits and vegetables like starfruits, chillis, peaches, guavas, etc. and colorful bands. Bags of coriander seeds can ward off bad wind while the realgar powder scares away insects; fruits can kill worms while five-colored bands, thought to represent the five elements, can be worn as prayers for peace and safety. The five-colored bags were purchased by the families for their children to wear on the occasion of Đoan Ngọ Festival.
HANGING WORMWOOD/CACTUS
On Doan Ngo festival, people took the wormwood to hang on the front door to avoid sickness and exorcism. Depending on the year in which the wormwood was formed into the animal images of that year, such as the year of the Ox- forming buffalo, the year of the pig - forming the pig... Some areas, it was changed the wormwood to cactus, willow.. or put cactus pots in the house.
STEAMING WITH AROMATIC LEAVES
Against the hot heat of summer days, all the elderly and young people often boil kinds of leaves such as grapefruit, coriander, perilla, marjoram, lemongrass, bamboo... to bathe and steam to prevent colds. In particular, women also wash their hair, wanting to have black, smooth, long hair. This is a healing method of the ancients, helping the body to poison detoxify, relaxed spirit and elation.
