Wearing Fragrance and Sachets at the Dragon Boat Festival
"Plant willows at Qingming, hang mugwort at Dragon Boat" — at the Dragon Boat Festival, sachets and calamus and mugwort ward off pestilence; this is the most vivid presence of incense in folk customs.
The Dragon Boat Festival falls as summer heat and dampness rise and insects and epidemics easily breed; the ancients used fragrant herbs to ward off evil and filth, a practice that became custom over time.
Fragrance of the Dragon Boat Festival
- Hanging Mugwort and Calamus: Hang mugwort and calamus at the door; their pungent aroma repels insects.
- Wearing Sachets: Grind mugwort, cangzhu, angelica, patchouli, nard, realgar and others into powder and fill bags, to be carried on the person or attached to children's clothing.
- Bathing in Orchid Decoction: Decoct orchid and fragrant herbs to bathe in, to cleanse away impurity.
Uses of Sachets
The sachet both wards off plague and conveys affection—whether for a lovers' pledge or a blessing from elders, incense can be tied close. For its preparation, seeWearing Incense and Sachets, and for the aromatic materials seeAgastache rugosa、Nardostachys jatamansi。
Wearing Incense and Sachets at Dragon Boat Festival
The following Q&A is compiled from content on this site for quick reference; the medicinal properties of aromatic materials are described according to traditional understanding and do not constitute medical advice.
What is usually placed inside Dragon Boat Festival sachets?
Traditional sachets mostly contain aromatic herbs such as mugwort leaf, sweet flag, Atractylodes lancea, Angelica dahurica, and Agastache rugosa, taking the meaning of "aromatic herbs ward off evil influences"; it is an important custom of the Dragon Boat Festival.
How are traditional sachets made?
Generally, aromatic medicinal materials are dried and ground into powder, put into silk cloth bags, and worn on the chest or hung in a bed curtain. Note that those with sensitive constitutions and infants should use strong fragrances with caution.