Qingming Festival is the day for descendants to worship their ancestors . Your birth year is 1996, 9 + 6 = 15 -> 1 + 5 = 6, If you are male: 10 - 6 = 4 then your lucky number is 4, If you are female: 6 + 5 = 12 -> 1 + 2 = 3 then your lucky, Irrational Beliefs in Vietnamese Superstitions. When she is not trying to configure websites, Kate can be found walking in nature with a coffee firmly in hand. Some believe it is a typical number mentioned in many instances in Buddhist and Taoist teachings. There are several explanations as to why the number 3 is avoided. Generally, Vietnamese good luck symbols are of Chinese origin. Influenced by Buddhism, many Chinese people believe that the souls of the dead stay and protect their descendants. 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. Where there is limited space or for most Vietnamese living in western societies, the family will engage a funeral home to assist with proceedings. According to traditional Vietnamese beliefs, once removed, baby teeth from the upper jaw should be placed under the bed. Due to this. In addition, Vietnamese pregnant women avoid squatting in fear of dropping out the little kid or being in a mood since they dont want their newborn child to have a sorrowful face. Read more about Religions in Vietnam here. The first stage, "Nhap Quan" (entering the coffin), consists of the dead body being cleaned with alcohol or water ("Vietnamese Funerals," n.d. para. This is done to signify respect and to show mourning. And when things are not going well. The first customer of the day will determine whether it is a good or bad day for business. Beliefs and religions are spiritual needs of a nation, which have existed and will exist with the nation and cannot be completely eliminated. Check out our, This Vietnam travel information page is written by a team of professional tour guides in Vietnam. Inhumation, the Main Funeral Style in China. 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. Preparing the Deceased's Body When Ngoc Hoang found out about this act, he punished her by turning her into a broom and forced her to work all year long, only allowing her to rest in the first 3 days of Tet. Family members that die a bad (violent) death are more likely to be a bitter spirit than those that die a good death. Again, this is just wishful thinking from parents, hoping that their kids will have all the best in life. The death body is cleaned with alcohol or water, removed from the old clothes and worn in the death clothes. There are a total of five feng shui elements: earth, air, fire, wood, and metal. Discover some South-East Asian superstitions that our Destination Specialists have come across on their travels. This Vietnam travel information page is written by a team of professional tour guides in Vietnam. I have seen owls and I think I heard them hoot even though it was a long time ago. The following guide outlines everything you need to know about Vietnamese funeral traditions. 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. 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. This superstitions list includes a lot of pretty common false beliefs that many superstitious people will recognize. 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. It's A Good Time To Resolve Feuds National Geographic reports that the Batammaliba. Here are 13 superstitions concerning death and dying that persist today and explanations of their possible origins. This belief dictates death planning for the Vietnamese. Vietnamese people often avoid taking pictures in a group of 3, believing its bad luck The body must be completely cold before it can be washed and prepared so as not to disrupt this process. Every year after a Vietnamese person's death, their children and grandchildren make a feast. 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. Evidently, these superstitions reveal a great deal about Vietnamese culture and thought. 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. 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. However, many feng shui masters have said that 9 is the luckiest number, it represents completion, fulfillment, and achievement. Read more about, Depends on what youre praying for, be it health, wealth, or general fortune for yourself and your family, you will pray to different deities. There are also other superstitions in Vietnam to wear off bad luck like wearing lucky charms made from jade. Eggs look like the number 0, implying that theyd get a bad score. 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. Do we need to give money at a Vietnamese funeral? With many years of experience, she shares about the "range" of Vietnamese . Tet is more than just family gatherings,sticky rice cakes, and Lixi(lucky money). Vietnamese also believe that a good combination of digits in their motorbike license plate or phone number can bring them good luck. Burning ghost money is a popular superstitions in Vietnam - Source: phunuvietnam.vn. The word for the number 4 sounds much like the word for death. Mourners who cry too hard may pull the soul so they should exercise restraint or risk a ghost remaining on earth. 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! Compared to the western practice of one funeral mass, Vietnamese Catholics hold many services for the deceased. On this joyous occasion, everyone is hopeful that the upcoming year will bring them good fortune. 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. 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. 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. We're not kidding. The job of coordinating and preparing Chinese funerals falls on the children or younger family members of the deceased person. 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. A friendly or enemy commander may refuse to attack or may alter his strategy if the stars are not in his favor. It is unclear how this belief came to be and none can actually testify if thats actually the case. 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. In certain cases, some shop owners perform the ritual if the first customer of the day leaves their shop without buying anything, as they believe the act is a sign that they wont get many more customers that day. When we take pictures of funerals or wakes, it's not to be macabre but more like a quiet reverence. Tet in Vietnam is associated with guest visiting, eating, eveloping, which means there is a lot of waste. Our Thomas Miller Mortuary & Crematory staff considers it an honor to help families pay tribute to their loved ones after they die. According to Vietnamese superstitions, whenever you seem to have too much misfortune in your life, youre being shadowed by a spirit. Meanwhile, cats areyou know, cats. Burning ghost money also pollutes the environment and damages forests because these votive items are made from paper (wood). They pray and give offerings to ancestors to show respect, something beautiful and healthy. Pass Under the Casket. 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. Like most other Eastern countries, Vietnam also has its own beliefs, culture, and religions, which have been formed and developed over the centuries. Relatives . 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]. You may lose money. to catch up, those who just lost a family member will refrain from doing so. However, there are many people who are completely delusional and blindly believe in these things, harming not only themselves but also those around them. Another way to look at it is that the saying might have come from the two species behaviors. Here are 40 Filipino superstitions to remember during these solemn occasions. To chase away bad luck, Vietnamese will burn incense or a piece of paper and fan the smoke. 4. The following are some popular superstitions in Vietnam that can amaze you. 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. 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. 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. Comes with fortune-telling, there have to be remedies if the result of reading your destiny is bad. Owls are bad omens. 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. For example, people with the zodiac sign of the mouse should visit homeowners with signs of buffalo, dragon, monkey, and if people born in the year of the snake wouldn't be welcomed to visit a family whose head of the family is born in the year of the mouse. 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. The belief may have to do with an idea of luck and "balance": good luck somewhere is balanced by bad luck elsehwere. That way, the permanent teeth will grow straight and even, resulting in a beautiful smile. 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. Also, while it is customary for people to visit their friends and relatives during Tt to catch up, those who just lost a family member will refrain from doing so. The number 9. . Here are history's 13 most enduring superstitions. 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. In fact, folks collect them in a corner of the house so that the shelter is still neat while the luck is saved. 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. However, many feng shui masters have said that 9 is the luckiest number, it represents completion, fulfillment, and achievement. "The Tibetan Book of the Dead" establishes many traditional beliefs Tibetan Buddhists have . 1. But all in all the best method to cultivate good fortune is to do as many good deeds as you can. There are no unique expectations of conduct at a Vietnamese wake and funeral. Red represents happiness. Both the paint color as well as furniture inside the house should be compatible with the owners elements. The music chosen reflects the happier or somber (e.g. 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. 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. Displays of wealth are not appropriate during the funeral. 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. We participate in affiliate programs that allow us to earn a commission at no cost to you. It is believed that doing so will inhibit the childs growth. More distant relatives such as grandchildren may wear yellow headbands. Gold coins and rice are placed in the mouth of the deceased during the preparation of the body. Anything red. However, some have roots deeply integrated in our culture that theyve become a part of Vietnamese social etiquette. 5:00-7:00 p.m.: Guests are on their way. Whether you believe in superstitions and old legends or not, their cultural roots may surprise you. Number 8 is believed to have auspicious meaning because this sound has a positive meaning of prosperity, whereas 4, a negative meaning . Vietnamese people believe it is a bad misfortune to die away from home. on the first day of the lunar new year. As an old Vietnamese saying put it, a dog coming into your house signifies good fortune. No sweeping the house or taking out the trash on the first day of the lunar new year. Therefore, buying a house is a basic need for everyone. 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. The death is just one thing that occurs for a person to be reborn somewhere else. Superstitions in Vietnam. 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 . Their origins may surprise you. 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. 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. To the soldiers in Vietnam, superstition became a kind of . Hey your article is pretty cool. While some people are avid believers, a large majority of Vietnamese people remain indifferent to these views. 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. 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. 1) The first day of Tet. 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