These are now considered a part of our dining etiquette, but they stem from traditional superstitions. 5. In Vietnam, a death anniversary is viewed as a celebration of life and a festive occasion. 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. Particularly number 8, because the Chinese pronunciation of it sounds like the word Phat in. In fact, incense burning is a prominent part of Vietnamese funerals. If you hear the hoot of an owl, it's certain death. They are even concerned with who should first set foot in their house on . And there are more because every person, with their unique background, occupation, and experience will have their own superstition and ritual related to it. Vietnamese superstitions to know You've probably heard sayings such as "13 is an unlucky number" or "don't walk under a ladder or you'll face bad luck" before. Traditionally, blood sacrifices and magic words made spirits happy. 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. This symbolizes the pure cyclical nature of life. 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. 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. However, for Vietnamese, death-dreams are good luck! "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" establishes many traditional beliefs Tibetan Buddhists have . The most gifted funeral flower in Vietnamese culture is the white lotus. Superstitions in Vietnam. This is because I wasn't born in Vietnam and I didn't know about . Vietnamese Superstitions. They connect us to our ancient ancestors and traditions. Just as an old Vietnamese proverb goes Co kieng co lanh, which can be roughly translated to There is no worship without sacredness, there are no taboos without luck. I have seen owls and I think I heard them hoot even though it was a long time ago. It is the outcome of coincident cases of miscarriage, stillbirth. Most funeral rites are performed in the presence of the body. Meanwhile, cats areyou know, cats. A possible explanation for this belief is that the barking of dogs is often interpreted as gu gu in Vietnamese, which sounds similar to giu giu, where giu means rich. Gold coins and rice are placed in the mouth of the deceased during the preparation of the body. Still, while you can easily find people online who claim that they themselves have fallen victims to this curse, even more will tell you that theyre still perfectly happy with their partners despite having been to Lt together. The biggest festival of the year in Vietnam, Tt is a time when we bid goodbye to a lunar year and usher in the next. Traditional Vietnamese funerals are multi-day events that last anywhere from one to three days or more. Every country has its own superstitions, and here are 10 common superstitions in Vietnam that every Vietnamese person has been told at least once. However, a house, a building is such a valuable property that can be taken as granted. Many of these Vietnamese superstitions are old beliefs passed down from previous generations that you can choose to follow or not as you see fit. 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. It is believed that doing so will inhibit the childs growth. In Vietnamese culture, numbers like 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 are thought of as lucky numbers. Youve probably heard sayings such as 13 is an unlucky number or dont walk under a ladder or youll face bad luck before. Red is a symbol of luck and is used in most Vietnamese celebrations. Not having sufficient knowledge, faith or trust in scientific methods, a Vietnamese often relies on his prejudices, emotions and the word of his forefathers to guide his daily life. Hey your article is pretty cool. This is particularly true if you are not of Vietnamese ethnicity yourself. Check out our Vietnam travel guide or our private tours if you wish to learn more about the traditions and customs of Vietnam. She used to cook for 21 heads of state at APEC Danang 2017 and was introduced by famous chef Anthony Bourdain on CNN. 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. Vietnamese believe a person's soul wanders after death. At sunrise or very early on the final day, a procession to transport the coffin to a gravesite or crematory will occur. In feng shui law, your personal lucky number is. Breaking a mirror is said to bring seven years . Hence, there are some things, some actions that they consider good and of course, some are seen as bad, that need avoiding. Vietnamese Funeral Traditions. 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. 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. Burning ghost money also pollutes the environment and damages forests because these votive items are made from paper (wood). The Vietnamese believe when you see one that means someone, especially those who are close to you, is going to die. Throwing childrens baby teeth onto the rooftop or under the bed. It is used as a lucky color for wrapping gifts, including red envelopes. 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. 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 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. This belief dictates death planning for the Vietnamese. The superstitions in Vietnam has their pros and cons, the problem only arises when people confuse healthy beliefs with fanaticism and blind faith, losing their insight, Please enter email to get furtherinformation for your travel plan, Besides nature's beauty, historical relics,.. Vietnamese souvenirs especially handcrafted gifts with unique and catchy processes, also attract tourists a lot. Many also choose to arrange the display as a wreath so that it can be draped over the coffin. on the first day of the lunar new year. Your birth year is 1996, 9 + 6 = 15 -> 1 + 5 = 6If you are male: 10 - 6 = 4 then your lucky number is 4If you are female: 6 + 5 = 12 -> 1 + 2 = 3 then your luckynumber is 3. In Vietnams daily life, there are a lot of unusual things happening that no one can explain. However, many feng shui masters have said that 9 is the luckiest number, it represents completion, fulfillment, and achievement. These actions are only used to serve rice as offerings to the dead, and so they are considered bad luck in a regular meal. 2). The main Catholic traditions observed in a Vietnamese funeral include: Whether a Vietnamese person has this belief is influenced by their religion. This is a list of signs believed to bring bad luck according to superstitions. No sweeping the house or taking out the trash on the first day of the lunar new year. Avoid wearing white or black. Superstition has been known to determine the conduct of the war in this ravaged country. In Vietnamese culture, religion dictates some of the rituals in the dying and bereavement process. They will usually adorn white clothing or shrouds as well. 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. There are also other superstitions in Vietnam to wear off bad luck like wearing lucky charms made from jade. There are many Vietnamese superstitions that are evident following a death. If you are a man, subtract 10 from the final result, and add 5 if you are a woman. Many Buddhists believe that the soul is transitioning out of the body for up to eight hours after death. This is one of the very few Vietnamese superstitions which can pose a threat to the environment. Moreover, too many paper items burned can result in the possibility of fire. Some people just see them as things to remember in life, but there are people who follow them as if they were the ultimate law of the universe. You may lose money. Reasons? If the lotus is unavailable then any white or yellow flower (if the deceased is elderly) will be appropriate. They pray and give offerings to ancestors to show respect, something beautiful and healthy. My aunts superstitions still remain incredibly significant to her identity, shaping the way she lives life each day and permanently influencing her beliefs. calculated by adding the last two digits of your birth year together until you get a single digit. On this joyous occasion, everyone is hopeful that the upcoming year will bring them good fortune. A series of prayers or blessings will occur during this time if the deceased was religious. Compared to the western practice of one funeral mass, Vietnamese Catholics hold many services for the deceased. Burning incense is a way to respect the gods and the deceased relatives. A large number of superstitions in Vietnam reflect the countrys rich history and diverse culture. Speaking of superstitions related to eating, in Vietnam, a lot of students. Here are what you should know about Vietnamese superstitions so that you can cultivate your own luck too. 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. Writer David Lamb mentions it in an article about superstition in Vietnam, stating that Vietnamese folklore is a mixture Buddhism, local tradition . The word for the number 4 sounds much like the word for death. The rites consist of making offerings of fruits, food, wine, votive paper, lighting candles and burning incense before praying in front of the altar. As such, dont let the rumors stop you from visiting this beautiful city with your significant other. Fear of the number 9 is known as enneaphobia, in Japanese culture; this is because it sounds like the . Knowing what to expect at a Vietnamese funeral is largely influenced by religion. Even though most people believe that everything is numbered, they are still curious about their destiny and find horoscope masters to get informed and ask for advice. Vietnamese Funeral Costume. 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 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. 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. It begins with the preparation of the deceased's body that will be on display at the family home until it is time for the funeral. 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. Any of the Four Symbols. However, it is a custom of the country that people dont clean their homes during the time because sweeping dirt means throwing away fortune. This is just for Buddhists though. That is why there are many Vietnamese superstitions forpregnant women. Red represents happiness. Do you find yourself throwing spilled salt over your shoulder without even stopping to consider why? 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. Read more about Religions in Vietnam here. If he or she is happy and rich the whole year that household will be happy and prosperous. Psych) by day and writer in the late evenings. One of the Vietnamese superstitions of buying a house is judging the home's direction. 2). A bowl of rice filled to the brim is said to be for the dead and should not be served to the living With Buddhism being the most common religion in Vietnam, traditions are widely practiced across the country. Meanwhile, others say 3 is an unlucky number in fengshui. Placement of an oil lamp under the coffin during the wake will keep the spirit warm. Vietnam has many customs involving superstitious activities. 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