A lot of people in Vietnam would shy away from taking group pictures in which there are three people in the frame. Every year after a Vietnamese person's death, their children and grandchildren make a feast. These somewhat uncustomary views or actions arise from cultural beliefs, with some including: Pregnancy is viewed as causing bad luck. 1. That way, the permanent teeth will grow straight and even, resulting in a beautiful smile. The Chinese Vietnamese has a similar ritual where they burn and step over charcoal. Your luck for the entire year depends on the first visitor. 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. 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. The deceased is dressed in casual clothing as they would wear daily and the chosen coffin is modest. In Vietnam, reading. However, many feng shui masters have said that 9 is the luckiest number, it represents completion, fulfillment, and achievement. Incense will be lit on a daily basis in tribute. The death body is cleaned with alcohol or water, removed from the old clothes and worn in the death clothes. While offerings will be much appreciated, do not feel pressured to give anything as your presence will be welcome enough. i Tour Vietnam | Top-rated private Ho Chi Minh City tours and Vietnam travel guides. According to traditional Vietnamese beliefs, once removed, baby teeth from the upper jaw should be placed under the bed. Following the interment, family and guests will return to the home for a meal or funeral reception. These actions are only used to serve rice as offerings to the dead, and so they are considered bad luck in a regular meal. There are many Vietnamese superstitions that are evident following a death. Remove a Corpse From a House Feet-first. Red is a symbol of luck and is used in most Vietnamese celebrations. The job of coordinating and preparing Chinese funerals falls on the children or younger family members of the deceased person. One popular dish during these special meals would be bun bo, a hearty beef and noodle soup, perhaps to sustain families for futures without their loved ones who have died. Here are nine fascinating Vietnamese superstitions that people still believe given out by Katie Kalmusky on The Culture This is done to signify respect and to show mourning. Embalming and organ donation are acceptable in the Catholic faith. Image credit: @ng10_11. Tet is more than just family gatherings,sticky rice cakes, and Lixi(lucky money). Many superstitions surround pregnant women in Vietnamese and wider Asian culture. The door is one of the most important aspects of feng shui in your home. Do we need to give money at a Vietnamese funeral? With many years of experience, she shares about the "range" of Vietnamese . They come as they please and leave as they see fit, so their presence is often linked to loss and misfortune. Age is seen as the most important factor for determination. The most gifted funeral flower in Vietnamese culture is the white lotus. This idea results in a Vietnam superstition which is burning a bamboo spill (a piece of paper) to drive ill spirits away. 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. The Vietnamese believe when you see one that means someone, especially those who are close to you, is going to die. Superstitions After Birth of Newborn Baby in Vietnam In Vietnamese customs, there are a lot of superstitions related to the newborn baby after birth. Shedding tears onto the body can be a bad omen. . Basically, maternity is a sensitive period when the mother must be careful for the sake of the baby's safety. These papers are known as "votive papers . In fact, folks collect them in a corner of the house so that the shelter is still neat while the luck is saved. I'm visiting my Vietnamese friend's family and it is very important to know about this, interesting information about the vietnamese culture. Vietnamese funerals. 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. Even though it can be a fun thing to do once in a while, there are many Vietnamese who actually believe in it and got their money swindled, so it gives a bad impression when people talk about fortune-telling. Filipinos have folk beliefs for many aspects of life, but you'll be surprised at the sheer number of superstitions for funerals and wakes! 9:00-11:00 p.m.: 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. 5:00-7:00 p.m.: Guests are on their way. 1) The first day of Tet. 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. This usually includes a wake, mass or prayer service, and burial or cremation. Placement of an oil lamp under the coffin during the wake will keep the spirit warm. However, today, it usually lasts around three days. You don't dispute facts"(118). . There are many Vietnamese superstitions that are evident following a death. This is one of the very few Vietnamese superstitions which can pose a threat to the environment. As such, dont let the rumors stop you from visiting this beautiful city with your significant other. During visitation, menstruating women should not light incense as it is considered to be bad luck. 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. Although historians are unsure of the origins of the middle person in a photograph of three meeting his maker first, this superstition seems to feature heavily in Asian superstition [source: Jensen]. So, relish the nightmares! The traditional fortune-telling includes Tu vi (a combination of reading your star sign, lunar calendar birthday, gender, and some previous events in the past to tell your future), palm reading, and zodiac signs reading. 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 Eveif your age is not compatible. The head of the family is the firm shoulder to other members to rely on, hence choosing the direction that is suitable for the breadwinner is the best. 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. Those are for good luck. 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 believed that doing so will inhibit the childs growth. The first option is to have the oldest person in the family be the home caller; this Vietnamese superstition comes from the view that the elders have accumulated a lot of good deeds, fortune, and knowledge in their long life and can share their longevity, peacefulness, and good fortune with the whole family. The number four gets its bad name because it sounds like "death" in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Thai. 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. Moreover, too many paper items burned can result in the possibility of fire. When you subscribe to the blog, we will send you an e-mail when there are new updates on the site so you wouldn't miss them. Here we focus on the largest two congregations and their funeral rites. AboutContactPrivacy PolicyTerms & Conditions. calculated by adding the last two digits of your birth year together until you get a single digit. Also, while it is customary for people to visit their friends and relatives during. Of course, this is nothing more than an old belief. Here are 13 superstitions concerning death and dying that persist today and explanations of their possible origins. Quite silly, actually. Flowers, money, or food are commonly shared with grieving families. Many Buddhist funeral ceremonies extend over a long period of time to assist the spirit of the deceased in transition. You may take them as seriously (or not) as you wish! Balut - fertilized duck egg embryo - also known as Hot vit lon, is a popular food Vietnamese use to get rid of bad fortune. Old wives' tales have been around for centuries, and many people still believe them. First of all, we do not fill our bowl to the brim with only one big scoop of rice, and it is also frowned upon to plunge chopsticks straight down into the rice bowl. 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. Grieving families will consult with a fortune-teller to select a lucky time for the service. Buyer must ponder days and nights before making a decision. Those following Buddhism (14.9% of the population) believe in reincarnation, however, the majority of the country is atheist and do not have firm views on this. On this joyous occasion, everyone is hopeful that the upcoming year will bring them good fortune. If a dragonfly bites your belly button, you learn how to swim, Swimming is a useful and, in many situations, a life-saving skill thats best learnt at a young age. You cant have a stable career without a residence. 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. 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. The first day of the Vietnamese New Year is a very important day for most traditional families. This extends from the belief that loved ones will receive these items in the afterlife. Vietnamese usually offer foods and burn ghost money and votive items like houses, clothes, and cars for the death so that they can eat, spend, use and continue their afterlife in another world. 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. The biggest festival of the year in Vietnam. Read more here. According to Staticia, 14.9% of the population are practicing Buddhists while 7.3% are Roman Catholic. In Vietnamese culture, numbers like 1, 6, 7, 8, 9 are thought of as lucky numbers. 6. There are two main ways that the Vietnamese decide who will be the first person to set foot in their house on New Year's Eve. In Vietnamese superstitions, people believe that their house comes with a history and negative or positive energy of their own. 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. 4. Relatives . Red is considered a lucky color because demons and evil spirits of legends were afraid of the color red. Commonly, judging the direction depends on the age and information of the eldest members, also referred to as the head of the family or the lineage. Our Thomas Miller Mortuary & Crematory staff considers it an honor to help families pay tribute to their loved ones after they die. They will appreciate the opportunity to be open about their beliefs without offending you. 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. 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. Today, both dogs and cats are well-loved by thousands of pet owners. 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! The reason for this tradition can be explained by the name of the dish itself. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Like most other Eastern countries, Vietnam also has its own beliefs, culture, and religions, which have been formed and developed over the centuries. 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. after returning from a funeral to prevent the gloomy aura from clinging onto them. In the past, a Vietnamese funeral could last up to a month or more. 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. Tet, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is an incredibly superstitious time for Vietnamese families. 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. Still, when it comes to their childrens well-being, its understandable that a lot of parents would rather be safe than sorry. Dogs are known for their absolute loyalty and love toward their hoomans, and thus their arrival is associated with positive things coming. Everyone should be on their best behavior during Tet towards neighbors, friends and family. 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. You can see more of these irrational beliefs inchopsticks-using manners and gift-giving etiquettes in Vietnam. Beliefs and religions are spiritual needs of a nation, which have existed and will exist with the nation and cannot be completely eliminated. 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. However, many feng shui masters have said that 9 is the luckiest number, it represents completion, fulfillment, and achievement. Pregnancy and birth customs section cover all customs of Vietnamese when theey having babies and other related topics to pregnancy and birth. These actions are only used to serve rice as offerings to the dead, and so they are considered bad luck in a regular meal. 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. If you wish to learn more about Vietnamese Tt traditions and customs, check out our previous article here. Some people also avoid cutting or washing their hair before the exam for fear of washing all their knowledge away. 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. Fear of the number 9 is known as enneaphobia, in Japanese culture; this is because it sounds like the . 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