The Dragon Boat Festival is the last statutory holiday in the first half of the year, and many people are looking forward to it. When is the Dragon Boat Festival? Let's take a look below!
The Uses of Artemisia Leaves during the Dragon Boat Festival
External Health Benefits
The substances contained in Artemisia leaves have antimicrobial and disinfectant properties. Therefore, boiling dried Artemisia leaves in water can achieve the same effect. Many people use boiled Artemisia leaf water for bathing or fumigation, or for foot soaking, all of which can have the same effect.
Mosquito Repellent in Summer
Artemisia leaves have a special fragrance that mosquitoes are afraid of. Therefore, applying Artemisia leaf water on the skin in summer can repel mosquitoes and prevent mosquito bites.
Internal Health Benefits
Artemisia leaves themselves are a warming substance, so consuming Artemisia leaves can help dispel cold. If you catch a cold in winter, drinking Artemisia leaf water can remove the coldness from your body and achieve a therapeutic effect. In addition, Artemisia leaves have the effect of warming the meridians and stopping bleeding, which is beneficial for girls.
Why Do People Hang Artemisia on the Dragon Boat Festival?
Disease Prevention and Treatment
Artemisia, also known as "Jia Ai" or "Ai Hao," contains volatile aromatic oils in its stems and leaves. The unique fragrance it produces can repel mosquitoes, flies, and insects, purifying the air. In traditional Chinese medicine, Artemisia is used to regulate qi and blood, warm the uterus, and dispel cold and dampness. Processed Artemisia leaves, known as "Ai Rong," are important medicinal materials used in moxibustion treatment.
It can be seen that the ancient practice of hanging Artemisia has a certain disease prevention effect. The Dragon Boat Festival is also a traditional "hygiene festival" passed down from ancient times. On this day, people sweep their courtyards, hang Artemisia branches, sprinkle realgar water, drink realgar wine, and eliminate impurities and bacteria to prevent diseases. These activities also reflect the fine traditions of the Chinese nation. Going up the mountain to collect herbs during the Dragon Boat Festival is a common custom among various ethnic groups in China.
Symbolizes Good Health
Artemisia represents the attraction of good fortune and is a medicinal herb that can treat diseases. By hanging Artemisia at the door, one can maintain good health. In ancient China, it has always been used as a medicinal plant. Moxibustion, a technique used in acupuncture, uses Artemisia as the main ingredient and burns it on acupuncture points to treat diseases. The legend of Artemisia's ability to expel evil has been passed down for a long time, mainly because of its medicinal properties. In Zonglin's "Jingchu Suishiji," it is recorded that "When the rooster does not crow, one should pick Artemisia that resembles a human figure, hang it at the door, and it can dispel toxic gases."
The Best Ways to Use Artemisia Leaves
Boiled Artemisia Leaves with Eggs
Ingredients: Artemisia leaves, eggs.
Method: Choose a fresh bunch of Artemisia and place it in a pot. Add eggs and water, making sure the water covers the eggs. Boil over high heat until the eggs are cooked. Remove the eggs, peel off the shells, and put them back in the water for another boil.
Effects: Boiled Artemisia leaves with eggs are very helpful for women. Eating boiled Artemisia leaves with eggs can treat dysmenorrhea, which can greatly affect women's health. When consuming, not only eat the eggs but also drink the Artemisia leaf water, which can effectively alleviate dysmenorrhea caused by uterine coldness and dispel coldness.
Washing Face with Artemisia Leaves
Ingredients: Artemisia leaves.
Method: Choose a fresh bundle of Artemisia, wash it thoroughly, and add it to two liters of water for boiling. Once boiled, let it cool down and use it to wash your face.
Effects: Artemisia belongs to traditional Chinese medicine and can kill bacteria on the skin, preventing skin inflammation.
Soaking Feet with Artemisia Leaves
Ingredients: Artemisia leaves.
Method: Soaking feet with Artemisia leaves is relatively simple. Generally, take 30-50 grams (a small handful) of dried Artemisia leaves and boil them in water for foot soaking.
Recommendation: For patients with excessive cold and dampness in the body, they can soak their feet with Artemisia leaves once a week. At the same time, while soaking the feet with Artemisia leaf water, it is recommended to drink a cup of ginger jujube water (10 dried jujubes and two slices of ginger boiled in ten bowls of water for two hours) as an auxiliary treatment.
Precautions: During the foot soaking process with Artemisia leaves, attention should be paid to drinking warm water, eating less cold food, and resting. It can alleviate discomfort in the head, face, throat, and chronic bronchitis caused by deficiency heat and excessive heat.
When is the Dragon Boat Festival?
The Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar each year. This year, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month is June 18th. Qu Yuan, a poet from the State of Chu (present-day Hubei Province) during the Warring States period, drowned himself in the Miluo River on this day. To establish a label of loyalty and patriotism, rulers made the Dragon Boat Festival a commemoration of Qu Yuan. Some regions also have legends related to the commemoration of Wu Zixu and Cao E.
