What does it mean to insert willow branches at the entrance of Dragon Boat Festival?

Artemisia argyi and Acorus calamus are inserted in the gate of Dragon Boat Festival.

Hakka people have the custom of "inserting green flowers" before the Dragon Boat Festival since ancient times. This green refers to Artemisia argyi and Acorus calamus, which is called "inserting green" because of its turquoise color. There are reasons here:

During the Dragon Boat Festival, near summer, the weather turns hot, the air is humid, mosquitoes breed, and the epidemic situation increases. In ancient times, people lacked scientific knowledge and thought that all diseases were caused by ghosts and evil spirits. Therefore, Artemisia argyi and Acorus calamus were tied in human form in the early morning of Dragon Boat Festival and hung in front of the door to ward off evil spirits and keep healthy. Folium Artemisiae Argyi and Rhizoma Acori Graminei contain aromatic oil, which can kill pests and diseases. Folium Artemisiae Argyi can be used as moxa stick to assist Chinese acupuncture. Igniting moxa sticks can treat many diseases.

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The custom of "inserting green flowers" comes from a well-known story in Huang Chao Uprising. During the Huang Chao Uprising in the late Tang Dynasty, feudal landlords in various buffer regions fled everywhere. At the same time, it is widely circulated that the insurgents have the skill of "crossing the mountain with a demon sword", killing people like hemp, which is terrible. The crowd fled when they heard the news.

When the rebel army passed through Ninghua County, a woman ran away with two children in a panic, carrying a heavy older child on her back and holding a younger child in her hand, making it difficult for both mother and son to walk. Huang Chao immediately went forward to ask, and the woman replied: "The boss was born by my sister-in-law. My brother's sister-in-law has passed away and can't regenerate one. We need to take good care of it;

The smallest one is my own. In case of danger, I would rather abandon my son and carry my sister-in-law's child to save his life. Huang Chao was very moved and gave the woman a special law: take her nephew home as soon as possible and don't run away; If there is military harassment, you can "put green" on the lintel to ensure safety. The woman listened to him. When Dai and her nephew came home, they put a "green" on the door.

When the soldiers passed by her house, they didn't interfere when they saw green. This day happened to be the Dragon Boat Festival, and people from far and near followed suit to ensure family safety. Since then, the habit of inserting green flowers has been formed every Dragon Boat Festival, which has continued to this day.

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