Vietnamese Sympathy Message. According to Vietnamese superstitions, whenever you seem to have too much misfortune in your life, youre being shadowed by a spirit. The word lon in Vietnamese means to reverse, so you should only eat a balut to reverse your bad luck and not when you are lucky. This idea results in a Vietnam superstition which is burning a bamboo spill (a piece of paper) to drive ill spirits away. There are some zodiac signs that will be on good terms with one another (usually a group of three zodiacs), while others will be conflicted with one another. The deceased is dressed in casual clothing as they would wear daily and the chosen coffin is modest. Discover some South-East Asian superstitions that our Destination Specialists have come across on their travels. Family members must consult the Chinese Almanac to determine the best date to hold the Chinese funeral ceremony. 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. The first day of the Vietnamese New Year is a very important day for most traditional families. A tourist hotspot of South Central Vietnam, Lt is famous for its pleasant atmosphere and stunning mountainous views. Nothing happened to me. The Vietnamese, especially the young ones, also other kinds of fortune-telling from foreign countries like the horoscope and tarot. This is because I wasn't born in Vietnam and I didn't know about . The deceased is viewed with similar reverence to the living and so the same norms for taking pictures apply. Necklace, wrist, ring, whatever. AboutContactPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions. This is due to a range of beliefs such as the risk of the deceaseds spirit entering the baby, or the mourning causing the child to be a crier following birth. Tet, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is an incredibly superstitious time for Vietnamese families. Some people possess good spirits which will bring happiness and good luck to the person they contact. Yet, it is also known for a rumor: As such, dont let the rumors stop you from visiting this beautiful city with your significant other. You shouldnt place any mirror opposite to the entrance because after a long day of working, seeing a shadow or reflection in the mirror as the first thing when you come home can create paranoia which can negatively affect homeowners mental health or make them suffer from nightmares, especially if you are a woman. Shedding tears onto the body can be a bad omen. This belief dictates death planning for the Vietnamese. Their origins may surprise you. To guarantee a luckier new year, people follow superstitious beliefs. . Image credit: ststanislausparish.com. To the soldiers in Vietnam, superstition became a kind of . 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. This clothes are made of very thin gauze textile so the dead person's family wears this clothes over their regular clothes. Breaking a Mirror The ancient Romans believed that human life renewed itself in 7-year cycles (mirroring the cycles of the moon). Youve probably heard sayings such as 13 is an unlucky number or dont walk under a ladder or youll face bad luck before. To chase away bad luck, Vietnamese will burn incense or a piece of paper and fan the smoke. As with many other Asian countries, rice is an indispensable part of a typical Vietnamese meal, to the point where we commonly refer to having lunch or dinner as n cm, or to eat rice. And as you eat rice, there are certain rules that must be followed. The owl is a sign of bad luck. In contrast, there are those who feature ill spirits that they send pity to others. When it is the, 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. Considered "windows to the soul," many superstitions involve the eyes of the deceased, such as placing coins on the eyelids of . 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. is a common ritual that they often perform to shoo bad luck off. 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. Ancestral worship which includes the use of an altar with pictures, incense, and various food offerings is an example of this. You may take them as seriously (or not) as you wish! Just as people from other countries have their own tales of tooth fairies, we Vietnamese also have our own way to deal with our baby teeth when they come off. These are now considered a part of our dining etiquette, but they stem from traditional superstitions. Moreabout usor visit home page, Check out the necessary information for traveling to Vietnam, Airport Arrival Tips at Tan Son Nhat International Airport (Ho Chi Minh), Airport Arrival Tips at Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi). If he or she is happy and rich the whole year that household will be happy and prosperous. This is a list of signs believed to bring bad luck according to superstitions. Some of them are: burning votive paper, meeting fortune tellers to ask for a prediction of future, especially some negative superstitions prevent some young couples from marriage because of their contrasting ages. Those attending a Vietnamese funeral usually provide gifts as a gesture of sympathy. In any case, avoiding pictures with 3 people has become a common superstition in Vietnam, even in our modern society. In Vietnam, reading. A lot of people in Vietnam would shy away from taking group pictures in which there are three people in the frame. And when things are not going well, t va, also called t phong long is a common ritual that they often perform to shoo bad luck off. Money. For example, pregnant moms must refuse to attend funerals because these are the gathering places of miasma which can threaten the life of the fetus. Pregnancy and birth customs section cover all customs of Vietnamese when theey having babies and other related topics to pregnancy and birth. In fact, some people prefer having cats as they dont need as much attention as dogs, making them perfect for the busy lives were now leading. Very superstitious. I'll just list a few. The word for the number 4 sounds much like the word for death. As a courtesy, ensure that your phone remains silent when in use. These papers are known as "votive papers . Some believe it is a typical number mentioned in many instances in Buddhist and Taoist teachings. Those are for good luck. This allows the soul to find its way home. It was believed that all these features were well-known to the Vietnamese and that the card was a potent symbol that would strike fear into the enemy ranks. To save our couples from the headache of digging all the dos and don'ts at their weddings, we have collected the 10 most important wedding superstitions in Chinese culture for you to follow. Throwing childrens baby teeth onto the rooftop or under the bed. 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. There are no unique expectations of conduct at a Vietnamese wake and funeral. A marching band will lead the hearse which is followed by attendees. Just like the horoscope or zodiac sign, your element is also decided based on your year of birth. Dogs are known for their absolute loyalty and love toward their, 8. 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! A majority of traditional Vietnamese funerals consist of three stages ("Vietnamese Funerals," n.d. para. 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. Burning votive paper. 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. On the other hand, the meowing of cats sounds similar to ngho, which means poor in Vietnamese. The rest of the country is divided between atheism and smaller religious groups. Gesture University of California Irvine. On the 12-year lunar calendar commonly used throughout Asia, many of the years are considered incompatible. 5:00-7:00 p.m.: Guests are on their way. Moreover, the architecture must ensure harmony amongst all feng shui details. In Vietnamese culture, numbers like 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 are thought of as lucky numbers. There is a balance as fine as a silk thread that has long been revered by us. For example, thefishermen will remove the bones of the fish after finishing one side of the fish instead of turning it over as they believe this would turn over their boats. Once all clock hands hit number 12, the old year ends, a new one comes, the person is expected to enter the gate of the house, send best wishes to the host, and just remain for a short time. Stay updated with the latest news of the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam and information for traveling to Vietnam. 7. What Do You Give at a Vietnamese Funeral? It is superstitious that cleaning should be finished before the new year's eve. In Vietnamese culture, numbers like 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 are thought of as lucky numbers. Superstitions are more than persistent irrationality. . Every year after a Vietnamese person's death, their children and grandchildren make a feast. There are a total of five feng shui elements: earth, air, fire, wood, and metal. If you are able to speak Vietnamese, then some sympathy messages include: If you do not speak Vietnamese, then general condolences will be welcomed by the grieving. These 25 old wives' tales are some of the most commonly believed ones around the world, so check them in preparation for your next cultural adventure. If youre in need of suggestions for what to do and where to go when youre there, check out our detailed guide, 9. People, especially the female, will go to fortune-tellers (thay boi) and see their luck in the relationship with family members, love life, and work or business progress in the next year. If you had bad luck in your dreams, perhaps there is some counter-vailing good luck that will pop-up elsewhere in your life. 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. 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 Learn more about, For many business owners, whenever they meet a bad customer or their sales are down, they can also just light up a piece of paper and send their bad luck away in the wind with the dark smoke. 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. Choosing a lucky wedding date is probably the most important step in Chinese wedding planning. For more insights on, check our guide on, Conclusion on What You Should Know About Vietnamese Superstitions, Superstitious beliefs are everywhere on the planet and vary from all corners of the world. 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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. Both the paint color as well as furniture inside the house should be compatible with the owners elements. The purpose of this stage is to clean the death body and place it inside the coffin. Superstitious beliefs are everywhere on the planet and vary from all corners of the world. Owls are bad omens. Many of those in Vietnam, as elsewhere in Asia, revolve around people's physical features. The following are some popular superstitions in Vietnam that can amaze you. These somewhat uncustomary views or actions arise from cultural beliefs, with some including: Pregnancy is viewed as causing bad luck. Then, placing the shirt back into the coffin to complete the ritual. Thus certain traditions are observed to ward off bad luck. Every action, gesture, on this day must be paid close attention to. However, today, it usually lasts around three days. This includes a picture of the deceased along with flowers, incense, and food offerings (e.g. after returning from a funeral to prevent the gloomy aura from clinging onto them. A simple line such as Im deeply sorry for your loss is appropriate. The key steps include: Contrary to standard black attire adorned in western cultures, the immediate family of the deceased traditionally wear white headbands during a Vietnamese funeral. The event joins generations together in a commitment that extends beyond death. Even so, people continue to do so because they think it is something they can do for the people who gave birth to them or the people they are indebted to, giving them peace of mind. Family members will burn fake items made of paper such as money, iPhones, jewelry, and cars. Sometimes, people can also. Settle down with a house and a job is an immortal saying of the old Vietnamese. I am very sorry for your loss Ti rt tic v s mt mt ca bn, May the soul of (name of deceased) rest in peace Cu mong linh hn ca (tn ngi khut) c yn ngh, I am here if you need anything Ti y nu bn cn bt c iu g, Hope you and your family will overcome this pain Mong bn v gia nh s vt qua ni au ny, My condolences to you and your family Ti xin gi li chia bun ti bn v gia nh, (Name of deceased) is resting with the lord (Tn ngi khut) ang yn ngh vi cha. Meanwhile, others say 3 is an unlucky number in fengshui. Filipinos have folk beliefs for many aspects of life, but you'll be surprised at the sheer number of superstitions for funerals and wakes! A large number of superstitions in Vietnam reflect the countrys rich history and diverse culture. Low denominations of money are thrown onto the ground during the funeral procession. Do you find yourself throwing spilled salt over your shoulder without even stopping to consider why? What superstitions do you secretly believe? Therefore, normally families will determine a person who is successful, generous, sociable, and healthy and send an invitation to him or her and note that they are the first caller of their home. This extends from the belief that death is an end to the body and not the spirit. 9:00-11:00 a.m.: Get ready to party! My aunt also mentioned the idea that the death of a family member must be shown a great deal of attention and care, so much that it is important for someone to be watching over the casket day and night to guard against evilness and the resurrection of a violent, Earth-bound ghost. Read more about Religions in Vietnam here. No taking pictures with 3 people in the frame, Vietnamese people often avoid taking pictures in a group of 3, believing its bad luck, A lot of people in Vietnam would shy away from. In the Buddhist tradition. 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. Kate is a qualified psychologist (M.A. Even when science and education have strongly developed, the majority of the Vietnamese still rely on common conceptions There is no worship without sacredness, there is no taboo without luck. Most of the time, the body of the family member who dies in Vietnamese New Year will be viewed and visited at their house or funeral home for two or three days, and at night one family member must sit and watch over the casket because they believe if a black cat jumps on or over it, that person wont go to heaven and theyll become a mean, violent ghost lingering here on earth.. If the pot doesn't break, it means there'll be another death in the family soon. Superstitions in Vietnam. If you visit a shop early in the morning in Vietnam, its considered common courtesy to buy something even if you dont really need it it neednt be a big purchase, a small item will do. In fact, folks collect them in a corner of the house so that the shelter is still neat while the luck is saved. The second way is decided by the compatibility of the guest and the homeowner based on their age and zodiac signs. 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