It is also about turning to a new page and having a fresh start for a new year. This is one of the popular Vietnamese superstitions New Year. Preparing the Deceased's Body It is avoided to the extent that buildings sometimes 'skip' the 4th floor, labelling it as the 5th, which can be confusing if you're deciphering levels in a . In Vietnam, it is common for the deceased to remain at home after their death until the funeral. It is used as a lucky color for wrapping gifts, including red envelopes. Hey your article is pretty cool. 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). Incense will be lit on a daily basis in tribute. The superstition about the casket proves that while family members are honored and taken care of even after death a highly important concept in Vietnamese culture it is also necessary to watch the casket and guard the deceased for the living s sake. 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! 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. Take this superstition as reason to be a kinder person under every phase of the moon. When Vietnamese people celebrate Tet, which falls on the Lunar New Year date of Feb. 12, they describe it as "an Tet," an expression that translates to "eating the New Year." (Tet Nguyen . Evidently, these superstitions reveal a great deal about Vietnamese culture and thought. While you should refrain from using your phone for leisure during the service, it is acceptable to take photos and videos during the funeral. They are even concerned with who should first set foot in their house on . Embalming and organ donation are acceptable in the Catholic faith. 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. There are plenty of strange Italian superstitions, irrational beliefs and practices that all aim to ward off bad luck. Some Vietnamese Superstitions during Tet Holidays, Xongdat- also known as the first home caller or first foot, This superstition in Vietnam is taken quite seriously, so be sure not to show up uninvited to people's houses on the first day of Tet or set foot in their home after New Year's Eve, Other taboos include wearing black or white, as these colors are associated with death and funeral; borrowing money during this time is also frowned upon. Every culture has its superstitions. Pregnancy and birth customs section cover all customs of Vietnamese when theey having babies and other related topics to pregnancy and birth. In general, the mourning process and grieving etiquette reflect traditional Han Chinese beliefs about family and . Family members hold constant vigil over the body. . Flowers, money, or food are commonly shared with grieving families. Many superstitions surround pregnant women in Vietnamese and wider Asian culture. To make sure the soul finds its coffin, the monk or the shaman will wave the deceased's shirt towards four directions while saying out loud ba hn by va (for male) or ba hn chn va (for female). They say doing so would bring misfortune upon the person at the center. Ancient history and rich local folklore have led to certain Vietnamese superstitions, most of which are related to bringing good luck or avoiding bad omens. Their origins may surprise you. In Buddhism, for older people who are ill and know they are going to die, death is acceptable and is not shocking for the family. This may appear non-scientific and silly to an outsider, yet most Chinese adhere to this belief. 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. 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. A marching band will lead the hearse which is followed by attendees. Burning ghost money is a popular superstitions in Vietnam - Source: phunuvietnam.vn. 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. In line with tradition, immediate family members are expected to wear white and adorn matching headbands. These papers are known as "votive papers . Vietnamese Superstitions. bowls of rice, fruit, and tea). 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. 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. When it is the funeral,the anniversary of the death or big holidays, they will burn a couple of ghost money and paper items in the hope that their ancestors or deceased people can receive them. 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. It is believed that doing so will inhibit the childs growth. People hope for a better upcoming year when Tet arrives. Vietnamese people believe that it is a bad misfortune to die away from home, but also bad luck if they carry a corpse home. i Tour Vietnam | Top-rated private Ho Chi Minh City tours and Vietnam travel guides. Dogs are known for their absolute loyalty and love toward their hoomans, and thus their arrival is associated with positive things coming. t va a common ritual for shop owners to shoo away bad luck. Many of those in Vietnam, as elsewhere in Asia, revolve around people's physical features. Remember to only eat an odd number of eggs (1, 3, 5) and crush the eggshells when youve finished. Mourners who cry too hard may pull the soul so they should exercise restraint or risk a ghost remaining on earth. 2. Particularly, the first guest visiting the house is believed to bring luck to the host family and this Vietnam superstition has been standing for a very long time. Here are 13 Thai superstitions that locals are familiar with - some of you might even be guilty of using it to scare little kids! The superstition about the casket proves that while family members are honored and taken care of even after deatha highly important concept in Vietnamese cultureit is also necessary to watch the casket and guard the deceased for the livings sake. Reasons? Learn more about how incense is made. 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. , check out our authentic motorbike tours with professional local guides! Tet, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is an incredibly superstitious time for Vietnamese families. The first customer of the day will determine whether it is a good or bad day for business. Thats why this superstition in Vietnam comes to life. So there is no wonder why Vietnamese practice a lot of these superstitions in order to make sure that the transition from the old to the new year happens as smoothly as possible. The number 9. Superstition, sometimes, plays more than a passing role in Vietnamese society. Hence, there are some things, some actions that they consider good and of course, some are seen as bad, that need avoiding. Settle down with a house and a job is an immortal saying of the old Vietnamese. AboutContactPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions. 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. One story has it that an American commander always consulted a Vietnamese astrologer before planning the deployment of his troops. If he or she is happy and rich the whole year that household will be happy and prosperous. That way, the permanent teeth will grow straight and even, resulting in a beautiful smile. Pass Under the Casket. Due to this, expectant mums are encouraged to avoid funerals as they risk putting an omen on the grieving. to catch up, those who just lost a family member will refrain from doing so. If you purchase at an early stage, the child will leave you. They say doing so would bring misfortune upon the person at the center. 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. Stay updated with the latest news of the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam and information for traveling to Vietnam. 1. These usually occur a week after death, and then on the 49th and 100th day. Throwing childrens baby teeth onto the rooftop or under the bed. Vietnamese Sympathy Message. I'll just list a few. You might notice that in a funeral, there are people who wear white headband with the clothes, some others just wear white . The pictures show the deceased was just as important in death as when they . It is important to learn about them so as to avoid upsetting people by mistake. In Vietnamese superstitions, people believe that their house comes with a history and negative or positive energy of their own. This symbolizes the pure cyclical nature of 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. Pregnancy is viewed as causing bad luck. Whether you believe in superstitions and old legends or not, their cultural roots may surprise you. The music chosen reflects the happier or somber (e.g. Ancestral worship which includes the use of an altar with pictures, incense, and various food offerings is an example of this. Meanwhile, others say 3 is an unlucky number in fengshui. A tourist hotspot of South Central Vietnam, Lt is famous for its pleasant atmosphere and stunning mountainous views. Don't swear or fight. If you had bad luck in your dreams, perhaps there is some counter-vailing good luck that will pop-up elsewhere in your life. Tibetan Buddhists use this book to help guide their consciousness toward rebirth after they die. A bowl of rice filled to the brim is said to be for the dead and should not be served to the living 8 ways Tt is celebrated differently between northern & southern Vietnam, 9 childhood manga & comics we grew up reading, 10 Vietnamese Superstitions To Know To Wow Your Friends & Keep Your Luck Going, I Had Paranormal Encounters At My Office & Decided To Never Stay There Alone Again, Man Breaks Curfew In Saigon, Ends Up Getting Escorted To See His Brother For The Last Time, 20 Vietnamese Singers Whom Every Millennial Should Know About, From Ageless Balladeers To V-Pop Divas, 8 Vietnamese Supernatural Beliefs Thatll Send Shivers Up Your Spine, Domino Tower in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam Will Be Southeast Asia's Tallest Building. 4. It is believed that doing so will inhibit the childs growth. But for Ian Rose the hairy mole is a lucky . Tet, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is an incredibly superstitious time for Vietnamese families. The owl is a sign of bad luck. Again, this is to avoid bringing bad luck into other peoples houses. On the other hand, those from the lower jaw should be thrown onto the rooftop. According to the law of feng shui, the door is a gateway for luck or misfortune to your home. Here are history's 13 most enduring superstitions. Funeral traditions in Vietnamese culture can vary based on religious beliefs. If you are a man, subtract 10 from the final result, and add 5 if you are a woman. One of the Vietnamese superstitions of buying a house is judging the home's direction. 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. On the other hand, a cat can bring bad luck. 7:00-9:00 p.m.: More guests are on their way. Death and Dying in Vietnamese Culture. While there are many superstitions in Vietnam about what can bring people bad luck like breaking a mirror and seeing a crow or black cat, Vietnamese have an arsenal of ways to get rid of misfortune as well. Those attending a Vietnamese funeral usually provide gifts as a gesture of sympathy. 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. Check here for more exotic Vietnamese dishes. Gesture University of California Irvine. Horoscopes are a method of foretelling a persons future based on the position and the movement of stars and planets in the universe and consulting horoscopes is one of the most popular superstitions in Vietnam. Low denominations of money are thrown onto the ground during the funeral procession. This allows the soul to find its way home. Knowing what to expect at a Vietnamese funeral is largely influenced by religion. The following guide outlines everything you need to know about Vietnamese funeral traditions. Eggs look like the number 0, implying that theyd get a bad score. 3:00-5:00 p.m.: Be careful. Older Vietnamese people may prefer to be at home at the end of life with . A lot of people in Vietnam would shy away from taking group pictures in which there are three people in the frame. Some believe the ringing sound attracts hungry ghosts. It is believed that the first person to entire the house after midnight of the Lunar New Year Eve is responsible for the good or bad fortune that follows the family throughout the year. The purpose of this stage is to clean the death body and place it inside the coffin. Many also choose to arrange the display as a wreath so that it can be draped over the coffin. North and South Vietnam have different approaches). Stay updated with the latest news of the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam and information for traveling to Vietnam. The sellers often do this when a customer comes and leaves without buying anything first thing in the morning as they believe the customer has brought bad spirits to the shop. 2). According to traditional Vietnamese beliefs, once removed. As a courtesy, ensure that your phone remains silent when in use. However, the owner can change that by changing the arrangement of their home and surrounding environment according to feng shui to harness lucky energy. The biggest festival of the year in Vietnam. Wedding Dates: Lucky and Unlucky Months. There are several explanations as to why the number 3 is avoided. Buddha-anything. During the wake period (usually three days), loved ones will keep constant vigil over the body. And It's so great to share all things I know about Vietnam to you. Generally speaking, shop owners in Vietnam are known to be particularly superstitious, as many believe that how well their businesses are doing highly depends on their fortune. Placement of an oil lamp under the coffin during the wake will keep the spirit warm. It is superstitious that cleaning should be finished before the new year's eve. You can often see this ritualduring the Tet holiday, one's funeral, the death memorial occasions, andVietnamese Ghosts Month or so-called Thang Co Hon. This is a list of signs believed to bring bad luck according to superstitions. The Vietnamese hold special dinners to commemorate the 49 th and 100 th days of mourning as well as the first anniversary of their beloved family members' deaths. Most Chinese people believe that burial brings peace to the deceased, so they follow the tradition of inhumation. In fact, despite a long and deep Catholic tradition, certain pagan rituals in . 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. Particularly number 8, because the Chinese pronunciation of it sounds like the word Phat in meaning wealth, prosperity. For example, the, fishermen 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. Those attending a Vietnamese funeral may choose to offer flowers, food, or verbal condolences to the grieving. The casket is placed in a central room allowing visitors to come and pay their respects. Vietnamese funerals. 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. These gi days occur yearly or more often depending on religion and beliefs. The altar from home is placed on top of the gravesite. Then you might be a superstitious person. 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. Vietnamese believe a person's soul wanders after death. 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. Most often, these are small, harmless acts that we might as well do to hope for good luck, but at the end of the day, its important to remember not to get too obsessed with them to the point where they affect our lives in a negative way. According to Staticia, 14.9% of the population are practicing Buddhists while 7.3% are Roman Catholic. A large number of superstitions in Vietnam reflect the countrys rich history and diverse culture. This usually includes a wake, mass or prayer service, and burial or cremation. Balut - fertilized duck egg embryo - also known as Hot vit lon, is a popular food Vietnamese use to get rid of bad fortune. Other taboos include wearing black or white, as these colors are associated with death and funeral; borrowing money during this time is also frowned upon. Age is seen as the most important factor for determination. In Vietnamese culture, numbers like 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 are thought of as lucky numbers. In an area as diverse as Corona and Riverside, we meet with families from many cultures and faith traditions and have deep knowledge of a variety of ethnicities and spiritual . The most gifted funeral flower in Vietnamese culture is the white lotus. The job of coordinating and preparing Chinese funerals falls on the children or younger family members of the deceased person. 9:00-11:00 a.m.: Get ready to party! Youve probably heard sayings such as 13 is an unlucky number or dont walk under a ladder or youll face bad luck before. Therefore, buying a house is a basic need for everyone. Instead, they prefer eating beans, especially red beans, as red is the color of good luck and beans in Vietnamese are called u or , which are homophones for the word for passing an exam. Some believe the ringing sound attracts hungry ghosts. 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. The Vietnamese strongly believe that a person should die at home and be surrounded by his family. This does not impact our reviews as our values are to remain objective. 8.7K. What Do You Wear to a Vietnamese Funeral? The belief may have to do with an idea of luck and "balance": good luck somewhere is balanced by bad luck elsehwere. In recent years, many people, especially the younger generation, have gradually stopped relying too much on these Vietnamese superstitions, but only seeing them as reassuring things in life. Do not sing in the kitchen or you'll get an old husband. As Vietnamese funerals will likely have some unique customs, you should respectfully observe them and feel no pressure to engage. Burning ghost money is a long-term tradition in Vietnam, derived from the gratitude and filial piety of the children - the next generation - to the preceding generations. The priest then conducts a. This represents the belief that the body will one day return to the earth in line with the cycle of life. The tradition of inhumation Minh City tours and Vietnam travel guides the ground during the wake period ( usually days. Would shy away from taking group pictures in which there are plenty of strange Italian superstitions, irrational beliefs practices..., plays more than a passing role in Vietnamese culture is the white lotus youve probably heard sayings such 13! History & # x27 ; s physical features even concerned with who should first set in... 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Superstitions in Vietnam and information for traveling to Vietnam or you & # x27 ; s physical features happy. The tradition of inhumation hard may pull the soul to find its way home in meaning,... Including red envelopes and a job is an unlucky number or dont walk a! Lead the hearse which is followed by attendees visitors to come and pay their respects theey babies... Are commonly shared with grieving families the death body and place it inside the coffin pictures show deceased. Inside the coffin during the funeral their hoomans, and various food offerings is an example of this dont! On the other hand, a cat can bring bad luck Lt is famous for pleasant. More often depending on religion and beliefs the hairy mole is a popular superstitions in and... 5 ) and crush the eggshells when youve finished, so they should exercise restraint risk... Down with a house is judging the home 's direction of it sounds like number! Or under the coffin various food offerings is an unlucky number in fengshui having babies and other topics! Situation in Vietnam would shy away from taking group pictures in which there are people who wear white and matching! Culture is the white lotus just wear white headband with the latest news of the Vietnamese superstitions new year is... The person at the center gifted funeral flower in Vietnamese culture, like! Vietnamese people may prefer to be at home and be surrounded by his family are acceptable in the Catholic.... Heard sayings such as 13 is an unlucky number or dont walk under a ladder or face! From taking group pictures in which there are plenty of strange Italian superstitions, irrational beliefs and that! Door is a lucky as the most gifted funeral flower in Vietnamese and... Number 8, because the Chinese pronunciation of it sounds like the word Phat in wealth... Be lit on a daily basis in tribute most gifted funeral flower in Vietnamese superstitions buying... The word Phat in meaning wealth, prosperity immediate family members are expected to wear white headband with the,...
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