Traditionally, deferential youths sprinkle scented water on their elders in exchange for a new year's blessing.

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Participants also ward off evil during the festival by bathing in flower-scented water, wearing five-colour silk, hanging plants such as moxa and calamus over their doors, and pasting paper cut-outs in their windows.

UNESCO: Culture

They found the fish tended to avoid the water which had been scented by otters which had eaten salmon - around 85% of the time - but did not avoid water scented by non-salmon-eating otters.

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Once you have shopped within a whisker of your luggage allowance, grab a Lebanese mezze lunch outdoors at Cafe Layali Zaman on the Corniche (look for the "Baguette" sign), where the hummus is perfectly garlicky, the baba ganoush a smoky, aubergine dream and you might choose to accompany your Arabic coffee with a sweet-scented shisha water-pipe.

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Yet other characters maintain order by softly hitting or splashing the audience with water, while a young girl throws scented powder into the audience.

UNESCO: Intangible Cultural Heritage