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. Some people possess "good spirits" which will bring happiness and good luck to the person they contact. By the time a boy is old enough to marry, for example, he may not be able to wed the girl he loves because she was born in the wrong year. 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. You can see more of these irrational beliefs in. on the first day of the lunar new year. However, it is a custom of the country that people dont clean their homes during the time because sweeping dirt means throwing away fortune. 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. This usually includes a wake, mass or prayer service, and burial or cremation. The word for it in Vietnamese is "coi boi", and the most popular time for this is at Tet Holiday (coi boi dau nam). Reporter Christine Nguyen looks at her grandmother . The rest of the country is divided between atheism and smaller religious groups. However, the owner can change that by changing the arrangement of their home and surrounding environment according to feng shui to harness lucky energy. Balut - fertilized duck egg embryo - also known as Hot vit lon, is a popular food Vietnamese use to get rid of bad fortune. Money. The first stage, "Nhap Quan" (entering the coffin), consists of the dead body being cleaned with alcohol or water ("Vietnamese Funerals," n.d. para. Some wealthy businessmen would even go as far as paying millions to acquire a good number. 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. 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 . Filipinos have folk beliefs for many aspects of life, but you'll be surprised at the sheer number of superstitions for funerals and wakes! Tet, or the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is an incredibly superstitious time for Vietnamese families. The first stage is called " Nhap Quan " (Entering the Coffin). 30. Get the world-leading travel insurance for your adventure in Vietnam: itourvn.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 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. In line with tradition, immediate family members are expected to wear white and adorn matching headbands. Anything red. Breaking a Mirror The ancient Romans believed that human life renewed itself in 7-year cycles (mirroring the cycles of the moon). Remove a Corpse From a House Feet-first. 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. O'brien shows how American soldiers order their experience by superstition rather than by rationality. There are also other superstitions in Vietnam to wear off bad luck like wearing lucky charms made from jade. Some believe it is a typical number mentioned in many instances in Buddhist and Taoist teachings. To the soldiers in Vietnam, superstition became a kind of . Where there is limited space or for most Vietnamese living in western societies, the family will engage a funeral home to assist with proceedings. In Vietnam, it is common for the deceased to remain at home after their death until the funeral. Every culture has its superstitions. There are no unique expectations of conduct at a Vietnamese wake and funeral. Burning votive paper. Here we focus on the largest two congregations and their funeral rites. Whistle at night will attract snakes. The death body is cleaned with alcohol or water, removed from the old clothes and worn in the death clothes. It is believed that by doing so, youd sweep out the good luck that the new year brings. Then you might be a superstitious person. Superstitions After Birth of Newborn Baby in Vietnam In Vietnamese customs, there are a lot of superstitions related to the newborn baby after birth. 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. 4. 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. One story has it that an American commander always consulted a Vietnamese astrologer before planning the deployment of his troops. Qingming Festival is the day for descendants to worship their ancestors . I have seen owls and I think I heard them hoot even though it was a long time ago. i Tour Vietnam | Top-rated private Ho Chi Minh City tours and Vietnam travel guides. Also, while it is customary for people to visit their friends and relatives during. Do you stop each day at 11:11 to make a wish? Your luck for the entire year depends on the first visitor. Shedding tears onto the body can be a bad omen. Vietnamese Sympathy Message. after returning from a funeral to prevent the gloomy aura from clinging onto them. Mourners who cry too hard may pull the soul so they should exercise restraint or risk a ghost remaining on earth. 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. 2). Except for blood, probably. This may appear non-scientific and silly to an outsider, yet most Chinese adhere to this belief. 2). . Settle down with a house and a job is an immortal saying of the old Vietnamese. 7:00-9:00 p.m.: More guests are on their way. It is part of the Confucian principle of filial piety and devotion to one's parents. The number 9. 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. Writer David Lamb mentions it in an article about superstition in Vietnam, stating that Vietnamese folklore is a mixture Buddhism, local tradition . 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. 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]. More Vietnamese are now being cremated after the. 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. 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). In feng shui law, your personal lucky number is. Japanese, and Korean languages, the number sounds like the word for "death". The best approach is to consult the family before the wake or funeral. 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. Nowadays, though, a lot of dentists are recommending that these baby teeth are preserved. During visitation, menstruating women should not light incense as it is considered to be bad luck. Vietnamese Superstitions - Beliefs in Afterlife and Spiritual Beings 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. Another bizarre superstition in Vietnam is that it is not advisable to prepare clothes or baby stuff before eighth-month pregnancy. It is also about turning to a new page and having a fresh start for a new year. Funeral Preparation. You cant have a stable career without a residence. Don't swear or fight. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In Vietnamese superstitions, people believe that their house comes with a history and negative or positive energy of their own. 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. Thus certain traditions are observed to ward off bad luck. On the other hand, the meowing of cats sounds similar to ngho, which means poor in Vietnamese. Vietnamese believe that by cleaning the house during Tet, especially the first 3 days, they will sweep the good lucks and prosperity out of their home. 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. 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. Culinary artist Pham Thi Anh Tuyet is known as a culinary "ambassador" who is always dedicated to bringing Vietnamese traditions to the world. 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. 2013-2022 i Tour Vietnam | All Rights Reserved | contact: info@itourvn.com, MUI NE, DA LAT & NHA TRANG (6 DAYS, 5 NIGHTS). In any case, avoiding pictures with 3 people has become a common superstition in Vietnam, even in our modern society. In Chinese culture, the reason behind the superstition surrounding the number 4 lies in the way it sounds. The door is one of the most important aspects of feng shui in your home. Death and Dying in Vietnamese Culture. And when things are not going well. Superstitions in Vietnam. In Vietnams daily life, there are a lot of unusual things happening that no one can explain. In Vietnam, a death anniversary is viewed as a celebration of life and a festive occasion. The parents need to help the person to be reborn in the proper place by providing a peaceful and religious environment for death. When we take pictures of funerals or wakes, it's not to be macabre but more like a quiet reverence. If you are a man, subtract 10 from the final result, and add 5 if you are a woman. Wow, should I visit a Vietnamese family during the new year holiday? Many Buddhist funeral ceremonies extend over a long period of time to assist the spirit of the deceased in transition. Some believe the ringing sound attracts hungry ghosts. They are even concerned with who should first set foot in their house on . 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. The funeral occurring at a random time and day. The majority of Buddhists are cremated rather than buried. 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. It is the outcome of coincident cases of miscarriage, stillbirth. Check here for more exotic Vietnamese dishes. One of the Vietnamese superstitions of buying a house is judging the home's direction. Here are 13 Thai superstitions that locals are familiar with - some of you might even be guilty of using it to scare little kids! Placement of an oil lamp under the coffin during the wake will keep the spirit warm. Every parent wants their child to grow up strong and tall, and thus many tell their kids not to wear hats indoors. While there are some fortune-telling methods seeming to use logical reasoning in the reading, but most of them are based on no actual scientific proof or solid pieces of evidence. 1) The first day of Tet. Older Vietnamese people may prefer to be at home at the end of life with . However, some have roots deeply integrated in our culture that theyve become a part of Vietnamese social etiquette. According to Staticia, 14.9% of the population are practicing Buddhists while 7.3% are Roman Catholic. They will usually adorn white clothing or shrouds as well. What Flowers are Appropriate for a Vietnamese Funeral? You can often see this ritualduring the Tet holiday, one's funeral, the, Vietnamese Superstitions and Fortune-telling, There are many kinds of fortune-telling in Vietnam, and the Vietnamese really love fortune-telling. Then, placing the shirt back into the coffin to complete the ritual. The Vietnamese strongly believe that a person should die at home and be surrounded by his family. These gi days occur yearly or more often depending on religion and beliefs. In contrast, there are those who feature ill spirits that they send pity to others. There are many Vietnamese superstitions that are evident following a death. 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. In an apartment complex, the door should not be placed opposite of the elevator because owners can feel like everyone is peeking inside their home, and the privacy of the family will be disturbed by outside energy. A tourist hotspot of South Central Vietnam, Lt is famous for its pleasant atmosphere and stunning mountainous views. This is done to signify respect and to show mourning. These Vietnamese superstitions originated from two folk tales. There are also other superstitions in Vietnam to wear off bad luck like wearing lucky charms made from jade. 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