Superstitious beliefs are everywhere on the planet and vary from all corners of the world. Regardless of customs, the focus of the service is to respectfully farewell a loved one. For more insights on, check our guide onwhat to expect in Vietnamese Tet. Wedding Dates: Lucky and Unlucky Months. These somewhat uncustomary views or actions arise from cultural beliefs, with some including: It is important to note that superstitions vary between religions and regions (e.g. The following are some popular superstitions in Vietnam that can amaze you. Most Vietnamese have multiple altars in both their home and workplace to worship their ancestors as well as different deities like Buddha, Bodhisattva, Than Tai(Caishen) - God of Wealth, and Phuc Loc Tho - the three Gods of Prosperity, Wealth, and Longevity. In line with tradition, immediate family members are expected to wear white and adorn matching headbands. The altar from home is placed on top of the gravesite. t va a common ritual for shop owners to shoo away bad luck. Grieving families will consult with a fortune-teller to select a lucky time for the service. 5:00-7:00 p.m.: Guests are on their way. If you wish to learn more about Vietnamese, traditions and customs, check out our previous article, A bowl of rice filled to the brim is said to be for the dead and should not be served to the living. In Vietnam passing a funeral or a bat is good luck. Everyone hopes to bring themselves and their loved ones good fortune over the coming year, and one thing that dictates the family's luck is the first visitor of the year. Of course, this is nothing more than an old belief. 9:00-11:00 a.m.: Get ready to party! Kate is a qualified psychologist (M.A. One thing I'll always remember when I cook with my grandma is her telling me, "Don't sing in the kitchen if you don't want to get an old husband As an old Vietnamese saying put it, a dog coming into your house signifies good fortune. Some people also avoid cutting or washing their hair before the exam for fear of washing all their knowledge away. In order to ensure a prosperous and happy new year, so many aspects must be taken care of, such as making sure that even the first person to enter the house is in a perfectly good moodnot the easiest task! However, for Vietnamese, death-dreams are good luck! There are many Vietnamese superstitions that are evident following a death. There are many Vietnamese superstitions that are evident following a death. Especially red envelope money. Therefore, it's bad luck to carry a corpse home. My mothers younger sister, Thuy, told me about these superstitions while I was helping her prepare the food in the kitchen for our familys big Vietnamese New Year celebration at my grandmothers house. Those attending a Vietnamese funeral usually provide gifts as a gesture of sympathy. Traditionally, blood sacrifices and magic words made spirits happy. Necklace, wrist, ring, whatever. However, some have roots deeply integrated in our culture that theyve become a part of Vietnamese social etiquette. 219 Kallang Bahru, #04-00 Chutex Building, Singapore 339348, The opinions expressed by our users do not reflect the official position of TheSmartLocal.com or its staff. The Chinese Vietnamese has a similar ritual where they burn and step over charcoal. Some believe it is a typical number mentioned in many instances in Buddhist and Taoist teachings. Perhaps its because the city has a melancholic vibe to it that makes people think of sadness, or perhaps because there are many supposedly haunted places around associated with tragic love stories and ghosts of young girls betrayed by their lovers who dont want anyone else to be happy. In contrast, there are those who feature ill spirits that they send pity to others. Vietnamese people have one believe that a human has souls and spirits, in particular, a man has 3 souls and 7 spirits while these numbers are respectively 3 and 9 to a woman. 4. North and South Vietnam have different approaches). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That way, the permanent teeth will grow straight and even, resulting in a beautiful smile. They will usually adorn white clothing or shrouds as well. Thus certain traditions are observed to ward off bad luck. Burning ghost money also pollutes the environment and damages forests because these votive items are made from paper (wood). It is part of the Confucian principle of filial piety and devotion to one's parents. While offerings will be much appreciated, do not feel pressured to give anything as your presence will be welcome enough. Phm Cng Sn, (1996) a Vietnamese anthropologist, said, "Death is not the end but is the final stage of one life to be transformed into another." He also asserted that death rituals provide the bereaved with a chance to fulfill their filial obligations to the deceased. Here we focus on the largest two congregations and their funeral rites. Do you find yourself throwing spilled salt over your shoulder without even stopping to consider why? Placement of an oil lamp under the coffin during the wake will keep the spirit warm. This may appear non-scientific and silly to an outsider, yet most Chinese adhere to this belief. Stay updated with the latest news of the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam and information for traveling to Vietnam. While there are some fortune-telling methods seeming to use logical reasoning in the reading, but most of them are based on no actual scientific proof or solid pieces of evidence. Everyone should be on their best behavior during Tet towards neighbors, friends and family. Vietnamese formal meals have lots of dishes, big and small, all served together For a big formal meal, with many guests, the standard is to have at least 4-5 dishes. It is during this time that they share food and toast to celebrate the deceaseds life. Every culture has its superstitions. Many people are carried to the hospital if they are sick. The ritual is simple: the shop owner lights a piece of paper on fire and waves it around in front of their shop to scare the bad luck away. They are even concerned with who should first set foot in their house on . The main Buddhist customs you may observe at a Vietnamese funeral include: You will find that many of the funeral customs in the Catholic faith overlap with those of Buddhism. While it is common practice to give money in an envelope to assist with funeral costs, it is not mandatory to do so. Every action, gesture, on this day must be paid close attention to. "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" establishes many traditional beliefs Tibetan Buddhists have . This allows the soul to find its way home. This practice is known as Dot phonglong. In Vietnamese superstitions, people believe that their house comes with a history and negative or positive energy of their own. More distant relatives such as grandchildren may wear yellow headbands. The first day of the Vietnamese New Year is a very important day for most traditional families. AboutContactPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions. Some people possess "good spirits" which will bring happiness and good luck to the person they contact. So when youre visiting a friends family during Tet, make sure not to comment about their piled-up trash or help out with cleaning, as you will be throwing out their good fortune. This is done to signify respect and to show mourning. Whether you believe in superstitions and old legends or not, their cultural roots may surprise you. A funeral service is held on or just before the final day. Every year after a Vietnamese person's death, their children and grandchildren make a feast. It is the outcome of coincident cases of miscarriage, stillbirth. Red represents happiness. It is believed that by doing so, youd sweep out the good luck that the new year brings. And It's so great to share all things I know about Vietnam to you. Losing your temper or shouting will bring bad luck for the year. No matter which number you multiply 9 with, the addition of digits in the result of the equation always returns to 9 (for example, 9 x 2 = 18 -> 1 + 8 = 9), symbolizing a complete circle of heaven and earth. People hope for a better upcoming year when Tet arrives. The intention was to target the alleged superstitions of the North Vietnamese, by making the Ace of Spades the symbol of death, humiliation, and suffering. A tourist hotspot of South Central Vietnam, Lt is famous for its pleasant atmosphere and stunning mountainous views. Ideas About Death and Dying in Vietnam. It is also about turning to a new page and having a fresh start for a new year. One of the taboos that people abstain from is sweeping their houses or taking out the trash on the first day of the lunar new year. However, make sure that the number of incense you use is always odd (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) when making offerings to ancestors or Buddhist deities. Superstition and belief are still large parts of daily Vietnamese life. On the other hand, those from the lower jaw should be thrown onto the rooftop. Embalming, burial, organ donation, and medical donation of the body are acceptable in the Buddhist faith. 8.7K. TOP 7 VIETNAMESE SUPERSTITIONS THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT, 1 - Vietnamese superstitions list: The first caller bringing luck, 2 - Avoiding sweeping the house during Tet holiday, 3 - Top 7 Vietnamese superstitions: Burning ghost money, 4 - Vietnamese superstitions: Burning a bamboo spill for chasing ill luck away, 5 - Top Vietnamese superstitions: Judging home direction before buying, 6 - Top 7 Vietnamese superstitions: Consulting horoscope, In Vietnams daily life, there are a lot of unusual things happening that no one can explain. Remember to only eat an odd number of eggs (1, 3, 5) and crush the eggshells when youve finished. Being born and living here in Vietnam, I got a chance to see lots of beautiful places, try countless great dishes, & experience many interesting things in places I visited. They believe that everything must be cleaned before this day arrives as a tardy cleanse can sweep away all of the family's good luck and prosperity. In the Vietnamese culture, as exemplified by these superstitions which my aunt picked up on from her own mother and other adult family friends, rituals surrounding the New Year are of utmost importance and not to be taken lightly. Read more about Religions in Vietnam here. Here are nine fascinating Vietnamese superstitions that people still believe given out by Katie Kalmusky on The Culture The rest of the country is divided between atheism and smaller religious groups. That is why there are many Vietnamese superstitions forpregnant women. Those prone to waterworks may compromise the future success of their children. You don't dispute facts"(118). Vietnamese funerals have complex rituals, to say the least: gold coins and rice in the deceased person's mouth, finger and toe nails clipped and packaged, and, weirdest of all, a vigilant guard for the coffin so that cats and dogs don't jump over the body and bring the deceased back to life. Those other items used to be just clothes, hats, jewelry, cars, houses, etc., but now there are also modern and fashionable votives such as iPhones, computers, etc. Today, there are many who break with tradition and open a window so the soul can be . Vietnam's massive library of idioms also teaches important values and life lessons: to work hard, to love one another, to remember one's roots. This clothes are made of very thin gauze textile so the dead person's family wears this clothes over their regular clothes. There are few conventions around floral gifts as with western funerals. 2). Burning incense is a way to respect the gods and the deceased relatives. A lot of people in Vietnam would shy away from taking group pictures in which there are three people in the frame. If you purchase at an early stage, the child will leave you. By firing a piece of paper or some incense and flinching to anywhere perceived to be haunted while murmuring spells, the folk thinks they are saved from being affected. Whistle at night will attract snakes. Vietnamese also believe that a good combination of digits in their motorbike license plate or phone number can bring them good luck. Every country has its own superstitions, and here are 10 common superstitions in Vietnam that every Vietnamese person has been told at least once. More. on the first day of the lunar new year. to catch up, those who just lost a family member will refrain from doing so. So for kids who are afraid of going into deep water, Vietnamese parents will sometimes have a dragonfly bite their belly buttons, telling them its a gift thatll help them learn how to swim. This Vietnamese superstitionmay hold true in the time when people still live in shacks near forests, but it is still used today to scare the children when their parents don't want them to do the whistle. Reasons? Check out our, This Vietnam travel information page is written by a team of professional tour guides in Vietnam. There are a total of five feng shui elements: earth, air, fire, wood, and metal. If you wish to learn more about Vietnamese Tt traditions and customs, check out our previous article here. There isnt any scientific proof to back up this claim, but its still a story passed down from one generation to the next, especially in rural areas near rivers. White and black clothing are associated with death and grieving, so people will opt for colorful clothes befitting of celebration. Speaking of superstitions related to eating, in Vietnam, a lot of students avoid having eggs in their diet in the days leading up to a big exam. Vietnamese superstitions, meanwhile, are vast and deeply embedded in people's psyche. Inhumation, the Main Funeral Style in China. . People, especially the female, will go to fortune-tellers (thay boi) and see their, Vietnamese Superstitions - Remedies for Bad Luck and Changing One's Fortune, Most Vietnamese have multiple altars in both their home and workplace to worship their ancestors as well as different deities like Buddha, Bodhisattva, Than Tai, (Caishen) - God of Wealth, and Phuc Loc Tho - the three Gods of Prosperity, Wealth, and Longevity. Most likely, its just a random act our forefathers came up with as a placebo to help boost our confidence and alleviate our fear of water. In feng shui law, your personal lucky number iscalculated by adding the last two digits of your birth year together until you get a single digit. It is believed that doing so will inhibit the childs growth. 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