Dragon Boat Festival Gift Warning: Avoid Gifting Alkaline Rice Dumplings Due to Taboo

As the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, a traditional Taiwanese custom advises against gifting 'jian zong,' commonly known as alkaline rice dumplings. This practice stems from linguistic associations that carry a negative connotation, making these dumplings unsuitable as presents during the festival period.

According to numerologist Wang Yun-bin from Taichung, the Taiwanese and Hakka pronunciations of 'jian' in 'jian zong' (alkaline) are phonetically similar to 'jian,' which means 'to reduce' or 'to decrease.' This phonetic resemblance leads to the belief that gifting alkaline rice dumplings could imply a wish for the recipient's fortune or prosperity to diminish.

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The pronunciation of 'jian' in Taiwanese or Hakka often sounds similar to 'jian' (to reduce).

This cultural taboo highlights the importance of wordplay and superstition in traditional Chinese customs, particularly during festive occasions. The association, while seemingly based on a linguistic coincidence, is deeply ingrained in the cultural understanding of gift-giving etiquette, ensuring that presents are perceived as auspicious and well-intentioned.

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The 'jian' (alkaline) sounds like 'jian' (to reduce), which carries two major taboos.